ORLANDO, Fla. -- The number of Americans who will travel this holiday weekend could set a new record.

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A survey by AAA predicts that 40.3 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home over the Fourth of July holiday.

That represents a 2.8 percent increase from the 39.2 million who traveled last year.

The survey finds that 33.9 million people -- 84 percent of holiday travelers -- expect to travel by car, despite rising gas prices.

"This will not only be the most heavily traveled Fourth of July ever, but this long weekend will actually put more American vacationers on the road than even the granddaddy of holiday travel weekends -- Thanksgiving," said AAA Travel Vice President Sandra Hughes.

"Higher prices for gasoline and increased competition for hotel rooms this holiday will do little to reduce Americans' desire to travel. Look for busy beaches, packed parks and crowded campgrounds," Hughes added.

Holiday auto travelers will find gas prices nationwide currently averaging $2.24 a gallon for all three grades -- up an average of 8 cents a gallon from two weeks ago, according to industry analyst Trilby Lundberg.

AAA’s travel survey also found that other vacation costs are up from the same time last year.

The biggest increase was found in car rental rates, which were up 12.8 percent, according to AAA.

AAA said airfares were down 0.4 percent from last year, but hotel rates were up slightly, averaging 0.7 percent higher.

"Travelers will see that hotel rooms are more expensive and in short supply this holiday weekend. Last-minute deals might be hard to come by. If you wait too long, there might not even be rooms left in some destinations," said Hughes.

The AAA survey found that 4.6 million Americans plan to travel by airplane over the holiday weekend, up 4.2 percent from last year.