Gas prices more than $1 cheaper per gallon await most travelers over July Fourth holiday
As many Americans prepare for an extra-long July Fourth weekend, those hitting the road will likely be greeted with prices at the pump more than a dollar below what they were a year ago – and lower than just a week and month ago.
The national average price for a gallon of unleaded gas – about $3.52 – was down about 6 cents from a week ago midday Thursday, according to real-time gas pricing app GasBuddy. That is 3 or 4 cents lower than a month ago.
On average, gas prices on July 4 are projected to be about $1.30 per gallon less than this time last year, when gas prices were coming off record highs, according to GasBuddy's head of petroleum analysis, Patrick De Haan. Earlier in the week, he projected the national average would be $3.49 for a gallon of unleaded gasoline on the holiday this year.
"We could continue to see that national average slowly slipping," De Haan told USA TODAY. But, he said, "it may stall out just shy of the $3.49 mark because the price of oil and the wholesale price of gasoline did take a big bounce (Wednesday)."
Is July 4th a good day to travel by car? Here are the best and worst times to drive.
AAA: Record-setting July Fourth travel predicted
Prices this July Fourth are way below what travelers faced last year when inflation drove the price of gas – and most other things – higher during the spring. By June 2022, the national average price for a gallon of unleaded topped $5 for the first time ever.
Over the last couple of months, the average price has remained about $3.50 to $3.60, a factor that's encouraging travel over the five-day holiday (Friday to Tuesday), according to AAA. AAA's tracking had Thursday’s national average of a gallon of unleaded at $3.54, or 4 cents less than a month ago and $1.32 less than a year ago.
The travel organization has projected record-setting travel over the Fourth of July weekend, with an estimated 50.7 million people in the U.S. traveling 50 miles or more from home. The majority of them, 43.2 million, will be driving, an increase of 4% over 2019's previous record-setting Fourth of July weekend mark, according to AAA.
“We’ve never projected travel numbers this high for Independence Day weekend,” Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel, said in the group's forecast earlier this week. “What this tells us is that despite inventory being limited and some prices 50% higher, consumers are not cutting back on travel this summer. Many of them heeded our advice and booked early, another sign of strong travel demand.”
Gas prices: We're saving $20 on a fill-up, but will we hit the road?
But a record-setting travel holiday is not a done deal, De Haan says. According to GasBuddy’s 2023 summer travel survey, 36% of drivers planned to take a road trip over Independence Day weekend, up 9% from last year.
But demand for gas has been tempered, in part because of the economic slowdown and rising interest rates, De Haan says. Consumers are saving $20 on the average fill-up, he said, "but they're still getting hit hard by other inflationary pressures like hotel accommodations and restaurants, and other labor costs are still up."
Travelers may have planned to drive somewhere over the holiday weekend but could be waffling. "They want to hit the road, but some of these other aggravating factors and other forms of inflation are holding them back," De Haan said. "It's going to be a strong holiday weekend. A lot of people are going to be traveling, but I don't think it's going to be record-setting."
Good news for Independence Day road trippers: Gas prices this holiday weekend are forecast to be over $1.30/gal less than they were on the 4th last year 🇺🇸🎆 More travel trends & tips for this weekend on the blog: https://t.co/imnb5ymwj4 pic.twitter.com/sUG401cPy1
— GasBuddy (@GasBuddy) June 29, 2023
Where is gas the most expensive in the US?
The West and Hawaii are the places where the average price of a gallon of regular gas is over $4, according to AAA. Here are the averages of West Coast states bordering the Pacific Ocean: Washington ($4.99), Oregon ($4.64) and California ($4.83) – all higher than over the Memorial Day weekend.
In Hawaii, the average is $4.28.
Averages in other Western states: Arizona ($3.93), Nevada ($4.21) and Utah ($3.97) – all lower than over Memorial Day weekend.
States with the least expensive gas prices
Mississippi – $2.97
Louisiana – $3.08
Alabama – $3.10
Tennessee – $3.10
Arkansas – $3.11
Average gas prices per state
Are you wondering how much gas costs in your state on average? Here is how much it is across the country by fuel type as of Thursday, according to AAA:
Alabama gas prices
Regular: $3.11
Mid-grade: $3.50
Premium: $3.88
Diesel: $3.64
Alaska gas prices
Regular: $4.28
Mid-grade: $4.43
Premium: $4.62
Diesel: $4.16
Arizona gas prices
Regular: $3.93
Mid-grade: $4.24
Premium: $4.53
Diesel: $4.08
Arkansas gas prices
Regular: $3.12
Mid-grade: $3.51
Premium: $3.87
Diesel: $3.64
California gas prices
Regular: $4.83
Mid-grade: $5.03
Premium: $5.19
Diesel: $5.05
Colorado gas prices
Regular: $3.67
Mid-grade: $4.03
Premium: $4.33
Diesel: $3.92
Connecticut gas prices
Regular: $3.63
Mid-grade: $4.11
Premium: $4.50
Diesel: $4.08
DC gas prices
Regular: $3.70
Mid-grade: $4.31
Premium: $4.65
Diesel: $4.24
Delaware gas prices
Regular: $3.36
Mid-grade: $3.84
Premium: $4.11
Diesel: $3.68
Florida gas prices
Regular: $3.31
Mid-grade: $3.72
Premium: $4.04
Diesel: $3.71
Georgia gas prices
Regular: $3.24
Mid-grade: $3.64
Premium: $4.02
Diesel: $3.75
Hawaii gas prices
Regular: $4.73
Mid-grade: $4.93
Premium: $5.20
Diesel: $5.72
Idaho gas prices
Regular: $3.97
Mid-grade: $4.18
Premium: $4.42
Diesel: $3.98
Illinois gas prices
Regular: $3.94
Mid-grade: $4.46
Premium: $4.88
Diesel: $3.90
Indiana gas prices
Regular: $3.40
Mid-grade: $3.90
Premium: $4.34
Diesel: $3.93
Iowa gas prices
Regular: $3.38
Mid-grade: $3.66
Premium: $4.12
Diesel: $3.62
Kansas gas prices
Regular: $3.25
Mid-grade: $3.56
Premium: $3.86
Diesel: $3.58
Kentucky gas prices
Regular: $3.29
Mid-grade: $3.77
Premium: $4.17
Diesel: $3.73
Louisiana gas prices
Regular: $3.09
Mid-grade: $3.48
Premium: $3.84
Diesel: $3.48
Maine gas prices
Regular: $3.61
Mid-grade: $4.01
Premium: $4.41
Diesel: $4.17
Maryland gas prices
Regular: $3.45
Mid-grade: $3.98
Premium: $4.23
Diesel: $3.79
Massachusetts gas prices
Regular: $3.55
Mid-grade: $4.07
Premium: $4.40
Diesel: $4.20
Michigan gas prices
Regular: $3.57
Mid-grade: $4.02
Premium: $4.49
Diesel: $3.89
Minnesota gas prices
Regular: $3.45
Mid-grade: $3.75
Premium: $4.15
Diesel: $3.74
Mississippi gas prices
Regular: $2.98
Mid-grade: $3.37
Premium: $3.72
Diesel: $3.50
Missouri gas prices
Regular: $3.28
Mid-grade: $3.61
Premium: $3.93
Diesel: $3.51
Montana gas prices
Regular: $3.71
Mid-grade: $4.02
Premium: $4.30
Diesel: $4.12
Nebraska gas prices
Regular: $3.35
Mid-grade: $3.55
Premium: $4.01
Diesel: $3.58
Nevada gas prices
Regular: $4.21
Mid-grade: $4.46
Premium: $4.69
Diesel: $4.21
New Hampshire gas prices
Regular: $3.50
Mid-grade: $3.92
Premium: $4.33
Diesel: $4.10
New Jersey gas prices
Regular: $3.47
Mid-grade: $4.00
Premium: $4.26
Diesel: $3.70
New Mexico gas prices
Regular: $3.46
Mid-grade: $3.81
Premium: $4.10
Diesel: $3.88
New York gas prices
Regular: $3.69
Mid-grade: $4.14
Premium: $4.49
Diesel: $4.44
North Carolina gas prices
Regular: $3.251
Mid-grade: $3.64
Premium: $3.99
Diesel: $3.70
North Dakota gas prices
Regular: $3.481
Mid-grade: $3.79
Premium: $4.10
Diesel: $3.83
Ohio gas prices
Regular: $3.36
Mid-grade: $3.81
Premium: $4.24
Diesel: $3.79
Oklahoma gas prices
Regular: $3.22
Mid-grade: $3.55
Premium: $3.83
Diesel: $3.48
Oregon gas prices
Regular: $4.64
Mid-grade: $4.85
Premium: $5.05
Diesel: $4.44
Pennsylvania gas prices
Regular: $3.63
Mid-grade: $4.01
Premium: $4.28
Diesel: $4.30
Rhode Island gas prices
Regular: $3.52
Mid-grade: $4.11
Premium: $4.45
Diesel: $4.19
South Carolina gas prices
Regular: $3.17
Mid-grade: $3.57
Premium: $3.93
Diesel: $3.60
South Dakota gas prices
Regular: $3.51
Mid-grade: $3.65
Premium: $4.13
Diesel: $3.70
Tennessee gas prices
Regular: $3.11
Mid-grade: $3.51
Premium: $3.86
Diesel: $3.61
Texas gas prices
Regular: $3.19
Mid-grade: $3.59
Premium: $3.92
Diesel: $3.39
Utah gas prices
Regular: $3.97
Mid-grade: $4.20
Premium: $4.41
Diesel: $3.76
Vermont gas prices
Regular: $3.61
Mid-grade: $4.03
Premium: $4.45
Diesel: $3.94
Virginia gas prices
Regular: $3.30
Mid-grade: $3.72
Premium: $4.03
Diesel: $3.71
Washington gas prices
Regular: $4.99
Mid-grade: $5.20
Premium: $5.40
Diesel: $4.95
West Virginia gas prices
Regular: $3.40
Mid-grade: $3.73
Premium: $4.02
Diesel: $3.82
Wisconsin gas prices
Regular: $3.43
Mid-grade: $3.89
Premium: $4.31
Diesel: $3.61
Wyoming gas prices
Regular: $3.62
Mid-grade: $3.88
Premium: $4.15
Diesel: $4.14
Follow Mike Snider on Twitter: @mikesnider.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Travel over July Fourth holiday: Gas prices down about $20 per fill-up