As we head into Thanksgiving later this week the national average for a gallon of gas declines along with gas demand.
On Monday, AAA states the national average for a gallon of gas is sitting at $3.662 –on Nov. 17 it was at $3.72 nationally. In California, the average cost of a gallon of gasoline is at $5.25 with Contra Costa matching the state average at $5.25.
AAA said last week that according to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand decreased from 9.01 million b/d to 8.74 million b/d last week. Meanwhile, total domestic gasoline stocks rose by nearly 2.2 million bbl to 207.9 million bbl. Increasing supply and falling gasoline demand have contributed to pushing pump prices lower.
As demand remains low and stocks grow, drivers will likely continue to see pump prices decline ahead of Thanksgiving.
Largest Weekly Decreases
- Since last Thursday, these 10 states have seen the largest decreases in their averages: Wisconsin (−24 cents), Michigan (−21 cents), Indiana (−18 cents), Illinois (−15 cents), Ohio (−15 cents), Delaware (−14 cents), Oregon (−11 cents), Texas (−10 cents), Oklahoma (−9 cents) and California (−8 cents).
| Regular | Mid-Grade | Premium | Diesel | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Avg. | $5.252 | $5.459 | $5.608 | $6.184 |
| Yesterday Avg. | $5.269 | $5.489 | $5.627 | $6.202 |
| Week Ago Avg. | $5.433 | $5.630 | $5.785 | $6.264 |
| Month Ago Avg. | $5.832 | $6.072 | $6.208 | $6.522 |
| Year Ago Avg. | $4.704 | $4.889 | $5.018 | $4.838 |
AAA Expects Over 7 Million Californians to Travel This Thanksgiving
Nearly 55 million people are expected to travel for Thanksgiving. That’s an increase of 1.5 percent over 2021 and 98 percent of pre-pandemic travel volume. Of those travelers, more than 7.3 million are estimated to come from California.
Air travel is predicted to see the greatest growth in travelers. About 4.5 million people are flying to their Thanksgiving destination, a nearly 8 percent increase over 2021. And nearly 49 million people are expected to travel by car.
“The upcoming holiday is projected to be one of the busiest for travel in the past two decades,” said Brian Ng, Senior Vice President of Membership and Travel Marketing for AAA Northern California. “Planning ahead will go a long way toward alleviating holiday travel stress.” — Full Story
AAA Northern California Offers Five Thanksgiving Travel Tips
- Airport parking lots fill up fast. Reserve a spot ahead of time.
- Expect long TSA lines and consider not checking a bag for additional flexibility if flights are delayed or rescheduled.
- Road traffic peaks the Wednesday afternoon before Thanksgiving. Travel during off-peak periods (before 8 a.m. or after 8 p.m.), if possible.
- Over 400,000 Thanksgiving travelers will call AAA for roadside assistance nationwide. Get a pre-trip inspection to ensure your vehicle is road-ready.
- Gas prices are nearly $0.83 cents more per gallon than last year. Find the lowest gas prices on your travel route with the AAA Mobile App.
