Summer is here, which means summer road trip season. And luckily, gas prices have dropped, making it the perfect time to plan an epic cross-country adventure.
Gas pump prices have been trending downward recently, with AAA reporting its biggest weekly drop this year last week, bringing the national average to just $3.48 a gallon. Prices fell further on Monday, to $3.45.
“The decline in gasoline prices appears to have some staying power for now,” AAA spokesman Andrew Gross said in a statement. “We expect to see gasoline prices drop below $3 a gallon in more states in the coming weeks.”
Of course, not all states are equal when it comes to affordability. Mississippi has the lowest average price for gas, at just $2.94 per gallon. Oklahoma comes in next, with an average price of $2.95 per gallon, and in both Arkansas and Texas, drivers pay an average of $2.97 per gallon.
Meanwhile, California has the highest prices in the nation at an average of $4.93 per gallon, followed by Hawaii at $4.75 per gallon and Washington at $4.41 per gallon.
In the Northeast, New Hampshire was the cheapest state to fill up with gasoline, averaging $3.38 per gallon, while Pennsylvania had the most expensive, averaging $3.67 per gallon.
Lower gas prices make summer road trips more affordable. Options abound, including the lush cliff-lined Road to Hana in Maui, the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway through the Great Smoky Mountains, or the breathtaking blue waters of Florida’s Overseas Highway and US 1 on the way to Key West.
If gas prices are too volatile, travelers can plan trips in electric vehicles and even rent one to try before they buy.
