IRVING (June 26, 2012)--Nearly 3 million Texans will hit the road during the Fourth of July holiday period from July 3 through July 8, AAA-Texas said Tuesday.

The association projects 2.98 million Texans will travel 50 miles or more from home during the Independence Day holiday weekend, which is nearly a 5 percent increase over last year.

Most of the travelers are expected to drive.

AAA-Texas predicts an average distance of 987 miles round trip for all holiday travelers.