Memorial Day weekend gas prices bring good news for road trippers and travelers

As more Americans hit the road over this three-day Memorial Day weekend, they will be greeted with good news when it's time to fill up the gas tank: Much lower prices than last year.

An estimated 42.3 million travelers will drive 50 miles or more from home over the weekend, AAA says. That's 2.7 million more people, an increase of 7%, traveling compared to last year, according to AAA.

“This is expected to be the third-busiest Memorial Day weekend since 2000, when AAA started tracking holiday travel,” said Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel, said in a statement.

Whether you're making the trek to an airport or driving an extended distance to see family, friends or sites, it will cost less when you stop to fill up.

Gas prices are much lower this holiday – the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline Thursday was $3.57, according to AAA – compared to last year, when the national average was about $4.60.

"Prices heading into the long weekend are far lower than last year (more than dollar) with thousands of stations (mostly in the South) selling regular unleaded below $3 a gallon," said Andrew Gross, spokesperson for AAA.

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When is the best day to fill your tank?

The sooner the better, Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, told USA TODAY.

Most Americans will see gas this summer under $4, he said. And even in a state such as California, where the average price is the highest ($4.81), that's about 25% cheaper than a year ago ($6.06).

Overall, Americans will spend about $1.6 billion less this Memorial Day weekend than last year, he said.

Will gas prices remain low all summer?

There's no guarantee prices will remain at this level, Gross said.

"The key is the price for oil, which accounts for more than 50% of what we pay at the pump," he said. "So as long as oil keeps waffling around in the low $70s per barrel, then drivers will likely not face any surprises this summer. That is … until hurricane season kicks into high gear later in August."

De Haan agrees noting that "gas prices are under additional pressure to inch up over the days ahead and supply remains tight."

Gas prices could fluctuate in the weeks ahead depending on how the debt ceiling debate plays out and whether interest rates will continue to rise, De Haan said. If a debt deal is reached, economic optimism could help forestall a recession – and possibly cause a halt in interest rate hikes, he said. In that case, prices could rise because demand for fuel will increase, too. However, in that case, higher gas prices aren’t necessarily bad news, De Haan said.

Concerns about the economy could be keeping some from hitting the road, according to GasBuddy’s 2023 Summer Travel Survey, released last week. While 64% of U.S. respondents said they planned to take a summer road trip, more than half (60%) had yet to confirm plans by booking hotels or other activities, the survey found.

Memorial Day road trips are up 6% over last year, according to AAA, with 37.1 million Americans driving to their destinations. That's still shy of pre-pandemic road-tripping by about 500,000 travelers, AAA says.

"Americans seem to feel a bit worse about the economy this year on the heels of rising interest rates, the bank crisis, and inflation that has spiked, impacting their ability to take a road trip during the summer driving season,” De Haan said in a statement.

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Where is gas the most expensive in the U.S.?

The West and Hawaii are the places where the average price of a gallon of regular gas is over $4. Here's the averages of West Coast states bordering the Pacific Ocean: Washington ($4.63), Oregon ($4.21) and California ($4.81). In Hawaii, the average is $4.78. Averages in other West states: Arizona ($4.59), Nevada ($4.24) and Utah ($4.08).

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 Wednesday, according to AAA:

Alabama gas prices

• Regular: $3.16

• Mid-grade: $3.54

• Premium: $3.92

• Diesel: $3.75

Alaska gas prices

• Regular: $3.94

• Mid-grade: $4.11

• Premium: $4.32

• Diesel: $4.21

Arizona gas prices

• Regular: $4.59

• Mid-grade: $4.93

• Premium: $5.19

• Diesel: $4.54

Arkansas gas prices

• Regular: $3.13

• Mid-grade: $3.50

• Premium: $3.87

• Diesel: $3.73

California gas prices

• Regular: $4.81

• Mid-grade: $5.02

• Premium: $5.17

• Diesel: $5.13

Colorado gas prices

• Regular: $3.47

• Mid-grade: $3.83

• Premium: $4.12

• Diesel: $3.99

Connecticut gas prices

• Regular: $3.61

• Mid-grade: $4.05

• Premium: $4.43

• Diesel: $4.20

DC gas prices

• Regular: $3.64

• Mid-grade: $4.14

• Premium: $4.55

• Diesel: $4.34

Delaware gas prices

• Regular: $3.49

• Mid-grade: $3.93

• Premium: $4.19

• Diesel: $3.79

Florida gas prices

• Regular: $3.38

• Mid-grade: $3.78

• Premium: $4.10

• Diesel: $3.79

Georgia gas prices

• Regular: $3.26

• Mid-grade: $3.66

• Premium: $4.05

• Diesel: $3.86

Hawaii gas prices

• Regular: $4.78

• Mid-grade: $4.98

• Premium: $5.23

• Diesel: $5.79

Idaho gas prices

• Regular: $3.83

• Mid-grade: $4.03

• Premium: $4.28

• Diesel: $4.04

Illinois gas prices

• Regular: $3.98

• Mid-grade: $4.46

• Premium: $4.88

• Diesel: $4.05

Indiana gas prices

• Regular: $3.64

• Mid-grade: $4.08

• Premium: $4.52

• Diesel: $4.09

Iowa gas prices

• Regular: $3.43

• Mid-grade: $3.67

• Premium: $4.15

• Diesel: $3.73

Kansas gas prices

• Regular: $3.27

• Mid-grade: $3.55

• Premium: $3.87

• Diesel: $3.70

Kentucky gas prices

• Regular: $3.36

• Mid-grade: $3.81

• Premium: $4.21

• Diesel: $3.87

Louisiana gas prices

• Regular: $3.14

• Mid-grade: $3.53

• Premium: $3.88

• Diesel: $3.58

Michigan gas prices

• Regular: $3.63

• Mid-grade: $4.08

• Premium: $4.55

• Diesel: $4.03

Minnesota gas prices

• Regular: $3.50

• Mid-grade: $3.80

• Premium: $4.19

• Diesel: $3.90

Mississippi gas prices

• Regular: $3.00

• Mid-grade: $3.38

• Premium: $3.72

• Diesel: $3.61

Missouri gas prices

• Regular: $3.22

• Mid-grade: $3.53

• Premium: $3.85

• Diesel: $3.64

Montana gas prices

• Regular: $3.60

• Mid-grade: $3.89

• Premium: $4.14

• Diesel: $4.11

Nebraska gas prices

• Regular: $3.39

• Mid-grade: $3.56

• Premium: $4.00

• Diesel: $3.72

Nevada gas prices

• Regular: $4.24

• Mid-grade: $4.49

• Premium: $4.73

• Diesel: $4.48

New Hampshire gas prices

• Regular: $3.43

• Mid-grade: $3.84

• Premium: $4.24

• Diesel: $4.24

New Jersey gas prices

• Regular: $3.49

• Mid-grade: $4.00

• Premium: $4.24

• Diesel: $3.79

New Mexico gas prices

• Regular: $3.51

• Mid-grade: $3.84

• Premium: $4.14

• Diesel: $4.20

New York gas prices

• Regular: $3.69

• Mid-grade: $4.13

• Premium: $4.48

• Diesel: $4.59

North Carolina gas prices

• Regular: $3.30

• Mid-grade: $3.69

• Premium: $4.04

• Diesel: $3.80

North Dakota gas prices

• Regular: $3.45

• Mid-grade: $3.74

• Premium: $4.05

• Diesel: $3.95

Ohio gas prices

• Regular: $3.53

• Mid-grade: $3.97

• Premium: $4.41

• Diesel: $3.96

Oklahoma gas prices

• Regular: $3.24

• Mid-grade: $3.56

• Premium: $3.83

• Diesel: $3.58

Oregon gas prices

• Regular: $4.21

• Mid-grade: $4.40

• Premium: $4.61

• Diesel: $4.45

Pennsylvania gas prices

• Regular: $3.68

• Mid-grade: $4.05

• Premium: $4.36

• Diesel: $4.44

Rhode Island gas prices

• Regular: $3.48

• Mid-grade: $4.07

• Premium: $4.40

• Diesel: $4.32

South Carolina gas prices

• Regular: $3.19

• Mid-grade: $3.59

• Premium: $3.94

• Diesel: $3.70

South Dakota gas prices

• Regular: $3.45

• Mid-grade: $3.58

• Premium: $4.05

• Diesel: $3.78

Tennessee gas prices

• Regular: $3.20

• Mid-grade: $3.60

• Premium: $3.96

• Diesel: $3.69

Texas gas prices

• Regular: $3.13

• Mid-grade: $3.53

• Premium: $3.86

• Diesel: $3.40

Utah gas prices

• Regular: $4.08

• Mid-grade: $4.31

• Premium: $4.52

• Diesel: $4.05

Vermont gas prices

• Regular: $3.54

• Mid-grade: $3.95

• Premium: $4.38

• Diesel: $4.01

Virginia gas prices

• Regular: $3.34

• Mid-grade: $3.76

• Premium: $4.09

• Diesel: $3.84

Washington gas prices

• Regular: $4.63

• Mid-grade: $4.84

• Premium: $5.05

• Diesel: $4.94

West Virginia gas prices

• Regular: $3.42

• Mid-grade: $3.74

• Premium: $4.06

• Diesel: $4.00

Wisconsin gas prices

• Regular: $3.57

• Mid-grade: $3.95

• Premium: $4.42

• Diesel: $3.72

Wyoming gas prices

• Regular: $3.44

• Mid-grade: $3.67

• Premium: $3.96

• Diesel: $4.16

Follow Mike Snider on Twitter: @mikesnider.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lower gas prices for Memorial Day 2023 make for busy travel weekend