The national average price for regular gas dropped on Wednesday to $3.042 per gallon.
The decrease comes after several days of small increases that briefly saw the current national average slightly exceed gas prices from a year ago, according to AAA. Moreover, the drop in gas prices comes on what is traditionally known as the “busiest travel day of the year.”
Wednesday’s price was a dip in cost from Tuesday, when the national average price was $3.055 per gallon, and Monday’s cost of $3.069 per gallon. It was also cheaper compared to a week ago, when it averaged $3.094 for a gallon of regular gas.
On Sunday, the White House touted low gas prices and claimed that this year’s prices were cheaper than those of last Thanksgiving.
“Americans are hitting the road this Thanksgiving with the LOWEST holiday gas prices since the pandemic,” read a post on X by the White House. However, this was not accurate, and the post was cited with a “community note” on X, as previously reported by the Washington Examiner. The citation explained that Sunday’s fuel cost was actually slightly higher than a year ago, according to data compiled by AAA. As mentioned above, Monday’s national average for gas prices was $3.069; a year prior, it was $3.056 per gallon. Essentially, the difference was negligible. However, it was still technically slightly more expensive than a year ago.
Gas prices have been hovering around $3 per gallon since mid-October. On October 20, the petroleum analysis company GasBuddy claimed that gas prices had dropped below the $3-per-gallon threshold. They were alone in their projections as other organizations, such as AAA, had gas prices still above $3 per gallon.
Based on current prices and the current trend of falling prices, a projection for fuel costs to drop again tomorrow, on Thanksgiving, would be prudent. However, bearing an unforeseen massive change, gas prices are likely to remain above $3 per gallon on Thanksgiving.
Patrick De Haan, the head of GasBuddy’s petroleum analysis, who supported the data of gas prices falling below $3 per gallon, said he expected Thanksgiving Day gas prices to be $3.02 per gallon, “the same it was last year.”
Nevertheless, whether gas prices are slightly under $3 per gallon, or slightly over, the gas affordability has been a consistent reality since President Donald Trump began his second term in January. Gas prices have remained steady for essentially all of 2025, fluctuating within a price range of $3.02 to $3.21. Moreover, during the summer months, there was no customary surge in gas prices, and fuel costs began to decline as autumn arrived.
Despite the current national average price for gas, prices vary throughout the U.S., depending on the region of the country. The West Coast has the most expensive gas prices in the country, while states in the Gulf of America region and those adjacent to it have the most affordable gas prices.
WHITE HOUSE’S X POST HIT WITH COMMUNITY NOTE FOR THANKSGIVING GAS PRICE CLAIM
California remains the state with the most expensive gas prices in the country, with a statewide average of $4.578 per gallon. Some of the counties in the Golden State have averages over $5 per gallon, with Mono County approaching $6 per gallon. Hawaii is next with a statewide average of $4.455 per gallon, followed by the state of Washington with an average price of $4.183. Next is Oregon at $3.81 per gallon, and then Nevada at $3.762 per gallon.
Oklahoma has the most affordable gas prices in the country, at $2.491 per gallon. Mississippi is next with a statewide average price of $2.597 per gallon. Louisiana is next at $2.619 per gallon, followed by Arkansas at $2.622 per gallon. Colorado is next, with a statewide average of $2.634, marking the first time the Rocky State has been among the five states with the most affordable gas prices in the country in 2024 and 2025.
