That’s good news for anyone taking a road trip over the upcoming Labor Day weekend. According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), gas prices at the pump should be lower compared to last year. The national average over Labor Day weekend 2023 was $3.81. On August 22, the national price of gas fell to $3.38, six cents from the previous week, according to AAA.

“The war clouds overseas are less dark right now, and the Atlantic is also calm now, easing pressure on oil prices,” said Andrew Gross, spokesman for AAA. “More and more retail locations east of the Rockies are selling gasoline for under $3 a gallon. Will this trend continue through the end of the year? Stay tuned.”

RResearchers also say overall demand for gasoline has declined as daily driving habits have changed after the pandemic, preventing a spike in pump prices. (We do need to keep an eye on hurricane season, however, which could cause gasoline prices to rise as the season’s peak in September approaches.)

You can check the national average gas price daily here on the AAA Gas Price website.

Do you drive an electric car? On August 22, the national average price for a kilowatt hour of electricity at a commercial Level 2 charging station was 34 cents. AAA now provides information on the cost of Level 2 commercial electric vehicle charging and updates this data weekly.

Labor Day Road Trips – Best/Worst Times

According to INRIX, most people will head out this week on Thursday or Friday afternoon or early evening. a transportation data and information provider. The best way to avoid traffic jams on these days is to leave in the morning. Unless you’re leaving on a Saturday, then the afternoon is the best time, according to INRIX. To get home, you should set off as early as possible on Sunday and Labor Day to avoid afternoon holiday traffic.

Click here to view more travel data by metropolitan area.

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