(The Center Square) – As millions hit the road this week to see family and friends, Michiganders will find themselves paying about the same at the pump as they were last year.
The current average for regular unleaded is $3.07 a gallon, AAA reported on Tuesday.
Mid-grade comes in at $3.69, premium at $4.25, and diesel at $3.90. These are just slightly higher than the national average, which Michigan consistently trends above.
The current national average is $3.06.
While the current average for regular unleaded is $0.07 higher than last year, it is lower than prices were over the summer.
Gas prices fluctuate throughout the state, with some of the counties with the lowest prices seeing gas in the $2.70 range, while the most expensive come in around $3.30.
AAA projects 81.8 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home over the Thanksgiving holiday period from Tuesday, November 25 to Monday, December 1.
Nearly 90% of those are expected to travel by car, which is an additional 1.3 million people on the road compared to last Thanksgiving. While Thanksgiving is the single busiest holiday for travel, this year is still expected to set a new overall record.
“Thanksgiving travel numbers are always impressive because this holiday has become synonymous with heading out of town to spend time with loved ones,” said Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel. “People are willing to brave the crowds and make last-minute adjustments to their plans to make lifelong memories, whether it’s visiting extended family or meeting up with friends.”
AAA is predicting that some of those last-minute adjustments could include travelers impacted by flight cancellations and the uncertainty around the federal government shutdown, which ended in mid-November.
Despite that, the Federal Aviation Administration is still bracing for what is expected to be the busiest Thanksgiving travel period in 15 years.
Tuesday will be the peak travel day of the Thanksgiving season.
Nationally, California has the most-expensive gas prices at $4.59, while Oklahoma has the cheapest at $2.50.
