Gas Prices Decline for Memorial Day Weekend Road Trips

Gas Prices Travel Expectations Low Heading Into Memorial Day

AAA expects number of travelers over holiday weekend to be fewest on record

Bloomberg/Getty Images Memorial Day is the traditional start of summer in the United States, and epic are part of that tradition. If you plan to hit the road, you can do so cheaply: The average price of regular unleaded gasoline is $1.87 a gallon, according to AAA, down from $2.86 a year ago. Gas is below $2 a gallon in 40 states. This assumes, of course, that you have somewhere to drive to in this coronavirus-plagued summer. , as are some national parks, but many businesses remain closed. “Summer travel won't be what we usually see, but we do see millions of people traveling this summer, and we expect them to gravitate towards domestic road trips,” says AAA spokesperson Jeanette Casselano. A trio of woes is driving down gas prices: • the sickness caused by the novel coronavirus, has flattened many world economies — most of which run on oil. As demand has fallen, so has the price of oil. A barrel of West Texas intermediate crude, the type produced in the U.S., now sells for $29.35, down from $61.17 at the start of 2020. In a first, oil prices briefly plunged into negative territory April 20. • Russia and Saudi Arabia picked precisely the wrong time to pick a price war. Both countries refused to reduce production this year, driving oil prices down. Saudi Arabia recently announced a cut in production. Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates also cut production. • The U.S. has also had its pedal to the metal, producing a record 12.2 million barrels a day in 2019. The enormous production of oil in the U.S., combined with plummeting demand, has made it difficult to find places to store it all. Gas prices could rise modestly this summer, assuming demand increases and oil production slows. AAA is expecting gas to hit about $2 a gallon by the end of May. Still, “Gas will be cheaper than it was last summer,” Casselano says. Last year, 43 million Americans traveled for Memorial Day weekend. AAA, which started tracking holiday-weekend travel in 2000, expects a record low number of travelers this year. The slowest Memorial Day weekend so far was 2009, when economic woes wracked the country, and just 29 million travelers took a trip over the holiday weekend.

More on Travel

AARP Travel Center Call: 1.800.675.4318 Search Flights Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Enter a valid date Child under 2 must either sit in laps or in seats: search Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Child under 2 must either sit in laps or in seats: search Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Child under 2 must either sit in laps or in seats: Flight 2 Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Flight 3 Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Flight 4 Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Flight 5 Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Add Another Flight search Search Hotels Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Enter a valid date Room 1 Room 2 Room 3 Room 4 Room 5 Room 6 Room 7 Room 8 search Search Packages Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Enter a valid date You didn't specify child's age Child under 2 must either sit in laps or in seats: Room 1 There are children in rooms without an adult You didn't specify child's age You didn't specify child's age Room 2 There are children in rooms without an adult You didn't specify child's age You didn't specify child's age Room 3 There are children in rooms without an adult You didn't specify child's age You didn't specify child's age Room 4 There are children in rooms without an adult You didn't specify child's age You didn't specify child's age Room 5 There are children in rooms without an adult You didn't specify child's age You didn't specify child's age You have more than 6 people total Please select a trip duration less than 28 days search Search Cars Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Enter a valid date search Search Cruises Select a valid location Select a month search Search Things to Do Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Enter a valid date search × Let's Go Reset Featured AARP Member Benefits See more Car Rentals offers > See more Travel offers > See more Hotels & Resorts offers > See more Gas & Auto Services offers > Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures

Close In the next 24 hours, you will receive an email to confirm your subscription to receive emails related to AARP volunteering. Once you confirm that subscription, you will regularly receive communications related to AARP volunteering. In the meantime, please feel free to search for ways to make a difference in your community at Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again.