U.S. Drivers Could See The Lowest July 4 Gasoline Prices Since 2021

The U.S. national average price of gasoline on July 4 is expected at $3.49 per gallon, which would be the lowest price on Independence Day since 2021, fuel-savings platform GasBuddy said on Tuesday.

Gasoline prices have risen in recent days amid higher crude oil prices, but the national average is still set to be lower on July 4 compared to 2023 and 2022.

GasBuddy expects the national average price of gas on July 4 to be just a penny lower than it was a year ago – when it was $3.50 a gallon. But this year’s Independence Day price would be over $1.30 per gallon below what motorists paid over the holiday in 2022, when the U.S. economy became superheated and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine pushed oil prices to above $100 per barrel.

“For those hitting the road to celebrate Independence Day, gas prices have seen modest recent fluctuations, but most states are seeing prices near or even well below where they were a year ago,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy.

“While the first half of the summer has been relatively smooth sailing, the road ahead may be bumpy,” De Haan added, noting the expectations of a very busy hurricane season.

“Even after the holiday fireworks are over, we’ll be watching for any potential fireworks at the pump that could be brought on by hurricanes disrupting refineries.”

At the end of last month, AAA said that a record number of Americans plan to travel over the holiday period around Independence Day, in what could be a boon to so-far-lackluster U.S. gasoline demand this summer.

AAA expects 70.9 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from home over the Independence Day holiday travel period between Saturday, June 29, and Sunday, July 7, the association said in its forecast.

The projected number of travelers for that time period is a 5% increase compared to 2023 and an 8% increase over 2019, with record-high numbers of both travelers by car and air travelers, according to AAA.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com