SAN ANGELO, Texas – As Texans prepare for Labor Day weekend, gas prices are dropping, providing some relief for travelers.
The average price of regular unleaded fuel in Texas is $2.95 a gallon, down 4 cents from last week and a whopping 46 cents lower than the same time last year, according to the latest data from AAA Texas.
The national average price is up slightly at $3.36 per gallon, but it’s still down 3 cents from the previous week and 46 cents from last year. El Paso has the highest gasoline prices of any Texas city, at $3.39 per gallon, while Lubbock has the lowest at $2.78 per gallon.
In San Angelo, drivers are paying an average of $2.89 per gallon, a slight decrease of 12 cents compared to last year. The decrease is in line with a statewide trend and provides a bit of a respite for those planning to hit the road over the long weekend.
Daniel Armbruster, a spokesman for AAA Texas, noted that the drop in gasoline prices is the result of declining inventories and strong demand. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) currently estimates gasoline prices at 9.307 million barrels per day. Despite the downward trend, Armbruster warned that prices could fluctuate due to increased travel demand over the holiday weekend.
“The statewide gasoline price average is 46 cents lower heading into Labor Day this year than it was a year ago,” Armbruster said. “While fluctuations are possible due to holiday travel demand, we expect fuel prices to continue trending downwards into September.”
In addition to lower gas prices, AAA Texas reports that Labor Day travel is expected to be strong this year, with domestic travel bookings up 9% compared to last year. Popular domestic destinations include Seattle, Washington, and Orlando, Florida, while Vancouver, Canada, and Rome, Italy are popular destinations for international travelers.
Traffic data and analytics provider INRIX says people traveling by car should avoid the afternoon and early evening on Thursday and Friday, when they are busiest. The best time to travel by car is in the afternoon, so unless you’re leaving on Saturday, you should leave in the morning. Travelers returning home on Sunday and Labor Day should leave as early as possible to avoid afternoon congestion.
