A record 800,000 travelers stopped at New York State Thruway service areas during the July 4 holiday travel period, marking the busiest Independence Day week ever for the highway’s rest stops.
The New York State Thruway Authority and service area operator Applegreen announced that more than 800,000 guests visited the Thruway’s 27 service areas during the holiday week. More than 360,000 purchases were made during that time, meaning about one in every two travelers who stopped made a purchase.
Thruway Authority Executive Director Frank G. Hoare said the record-setting week highlights the success of the recently completed modernization of all 27 service areas.
“This public-private partnership is a prime example of government working for the people,” Hoare said. “These modern facilities provide customers with convenient, reliable places to stop during their travels without the use of toll or taxpayer dollars.”
The holiday period was the first Fourth of July travel week since the completion of a privately funded $450 million redevelopment project that modernized every Thruway service area. The project included the construction of 23 new service areas and major renovations to four existing facilities. No toll or taxpayer dollars were used for the project.
Applegreen Vice President of Operations Matthew Scally said the company designed the upgraded service areas to provide a world-class travel experience and was pleased to welcome a record number of guests during the holiday week.
To accommodate the increased traffic, Applegreen’s approximately 2,000 employees worked a combined 54,000 hours during the week.
The first rebuilt service areas reopened in 2022, with the entire modernization project completed last November ahead of the Thanksgiving travel season.
The upgraded facilities feature Applegreen convenience stores, national food and coffee brands, electric vehicle charging stations, pet walking areas, nursing stations, expanded services for commercial truck drivers, farmers’ market locations, and Taste NY displays featuring nearly 30 New York food and beverage vendors.
Applegreen operates all 27 service areas, located about every 40 to 50 miles along the Thruway. Open around the clock year-round, the facilities have welcomed more than 41 million visitors so far in 2025.
During the July 4 holiday week, each service area averaged more than 29,500 visitors, while the network collectively served more than 4,700 customers every hour. The total number of visitors was roughly equal to the population of Seattle, according to the Thruway Authority.
