Holiday gas prices reach lowest level since 2020

One of the busiest holiday travel seasons on record is getting underway, and people stopping at the pump to fill up their vehicles may save some money compared to recent years.

This holiday season is predicted to be one of the busiest ever with 115 million Americans expected to travel between Dec. 23 and Jan. 1, according to AAA, and folks hitting the road may save some money when they stop at the pump compared to last year.

"The national average has declined 13 straight weeks, falling to its lowest level since 2021," Patrick Dehaan told AccuWeather in an interview. Dehaan is the Head of Petroleum Analysis at Gas Buddy and said that the national average for gas was around $3.03 per gallon as of Monday, Dec. 18.

This is down from $3.10 per gallon on Dec. 18, 2022, and $3.32 per gallon on Dec. 17, 2021, according to historical data provided by Gas Buddy. However, current gas prices are above 2020 levels when a gallon of gas ahead of the holidays was around $2.23.

While the average price for a gallon of gas across the United States is around $3, it can vary dramatically from state to state.

"There are still 31 states where gasoline prices are averaging less than $3 a gallon," Dehaan said, adding the cheapest gas is across the Gulf Coast states. The highest gas prices can be found across the western United States, including California, Washington, Oregon and Nevada.

The costs of travel are only half of the story though, as weather could throw a wrench in holiday travel plans. AccuWeather forecasters caution that there will be some trouble spots across the country that may lead to weather-related delays on the days leading up to Dec. 25.

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