PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Average gas prices in Portland have dropped ahead of one of the busiest travel holidays of the year, according to GasBuddy. Yet, gas prices are still much higher than ever during the Thanksgiving holiday.
On Monday, Nov. 21, gas-monitoring tech company GasBuddy reported that the average cost of gas in Portland had decreased by about 15 cents per gallon in just a week. After surveying 387 Portland-area stations, experts found that the average gas price was $4.80 per gallon.
The current average is $1 above the average of this same time in 2021, but 44.6 cents below the average one month ago.
Portland’s falling prices have reflected the national trend. GasBuddy collected data from over 150,000 gas stations throughout the U.S., and the national average is also down $11.9 cents per gallon from last week.
“What an incredible turnaround in the last week,” GasBuddy’s head of petroleum analysis, Patrick De Haan, said in the weekly gas prices update. “While a decline was expected in more states than last week, I didn’t expect every single state to hop on the bandwagon so quickly. But, it’s terrific news as motorists prepare for Thanksgiving travel, with tens of thousands of stations under $3 per gallon, and thousands more to join in the next few weeks, barring a dramatic turnaround.”
Although gas is more affordable than it has been in recent weeks, GasBuddy says prices this Thanksgiving remain more expensive than any other Thanksgiving in history.
However, many people seem to be undeterred by the spike. AAA projects that 777,000 Oregonians will travel over 50 miles from home for the holidays.
About 54.6 million Americans are expected to travel over 50 miles between Wednesday, November 23 and Sunday, November 27. This is the third busiest Thanksgiving holiday after 2005 and 2019, according to AAA which began tracking travel in 2000.
Additionally, AAA’s forecast says that 89% of travelers are choosing to drive this year.
“Americans are eager to carve out time to see family and friends this Thanksgiving,” Marie Dodds, public affairs director at AAA Oregon/Idaho, said in a release. “The long holiday weekend is shaping up to be one of the busiest for travel in the past two decades. Whether you’re driving or flying, plan ahead and expect delays.”
Wednesday, Nov. 23 is projected to be the busiest day for travel this week. AAA reports that 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. are the worst times to travel to your Thanksgiving destinations, and recommends hitting the roads either before 8 a.m. or after 8 p.m.