PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Gas prices in the Portland metropolitan area remain on the decline, which could be good news as many drivers prepare for road trips ahead of the Christmas holiday.
According to GasBuddy, average gas prices in Portland have dropped by 24 cents a gallon within the past week. A survey of 387 gas stations across the city found that the average now sits at $4.08 per gallon.
GasBuddy says that the current average is 26.8 cents higher than it was at this point in 2021, but is still 85.4 cents less than the average just one month ago.
The Rose City’s dropping gas prices mirror the national trend. According to GasBuddy’s weekly reports from over 150,000 U.S. gas stations, the national average has lowered 14.4 cents in the past week, and is now $3.21 per gallon.
Portland is also among the other West Coast cities that saw a surge in gas prices earlier this year but have since decreased.
“On the previously hard-hit West Coast, average prices have fallen nearly $2 per gallon since October,” GasBuddy’s head of petroleum analysis, Patrick De Haan, said in the weekly report. “Fifteen states now have average gasoline prices of $2.99 or less, with several more to join this week. We remain on schedule to see the national average gas price fall below $3 by Christmas…”
AAA has some predictions for how drivers will be impacted by this holiday season, as well.
The association’s 2022 Year-End Holiday Travel Forecast reports that 101.8 million Americans will be traveling by vehicle this holiday season, compared to 99.8 million Americans just last year. It additionally says that this year-end holiday travel period will last 11 days, from Friday, Dec. 23, to Monday, Jan. 2.
The Washington Department of Transportation also predicts that there will be congestion on major highways like I-5, I-90 and US 2 from Dec. 23 to Dec. 26.
However, those with longer commutes could start their travels as early as this week.