(The Center Square) – As Ohioans prep for the July Fourth holiday weekend, they will generally see a dip in gas prices.
According to the Automobile Association of America, the average price per gallon is down a few cents from last week but significantly lower from the same time last year.
The average cost for a gallon of regular unleaded in Ohio sits at $2.98, down 7 cents from a week ago but up 4 cents from last month. However, the average is more than 50 cents lower than a year ago.
The news comes as record numbers of Americans are expected to be on the road during the holiday.
AAA projects 72.2 million people will travel at least 50 miles or more from home over the Independence Day holiday period that began Saturday and runs through Sunday.
“This year’s domestic travel forecast is an increase of 1.7 million travelers compared to last year and 7 million more than in 2019,” said AAA.
The majority of those, 61.6 million, will travel by car. That is a 2.2% increase over last year and the highest volume on record.
“Summertime is one of the busiest travel seasons of the year, and July 4th is one of the most popular times to get away,” said Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel. “Following Memorial Day’s record forecast, AAA is seeing strong demand for road trips and air travel over Independence Day week.”
This comes even as fears about potentially high gas prices due to conflicts in the Middle East have mainly been unsubstantiated.
“The Israel Iran conflict has driven up the price of oil in recent days but not dramatically,” AAA reported.
Instead, gas prices have remained relatively stable in Ohio over the past few weeks, with gas prices being the lowest since 2021.
Nationally, California has the most expensive gas prices at $4.60, while Mississippi has the cheapest at $2.72.
