AAA expects 50 million holiday travelers during the Thanksgiving holiday. Gas prices are shaping up to be the lowest during the holiday since 2015. At $2.10 nationwide, those traveling by road may find it a little cheap compared to recent months.
According to AAA spokesperson Molly Hart, she says cheaper gas prices usually mean an incentive to travel but not this year. She says AAA forecast a decrease in Thanksgiving travel year-over-year due to increasing COVID-19 cases and renewed restrictions.
Illinois’ average currently sits a dime higher than the national average at $2.20, slightly better than one week ago. Morgan, Cass, and Pike are the most expensive places to fill up in West Central Illinois, all at least 2 cents above the state average. Morgan County and Jacksonville prices are currently averaging $2.22 a gallon. Springfield bests Jacksonville by 3 cents with a $2.19 average, with many western Springfield gas pumps sitting between $2.10 and $2.15.
Scott, Greene, Jersey, and Brown are the best places to fill up, all well below the state average. Schuyler County currently sits at $2.05.
In its latest report, the Energy Information Administration measured demand, for the week ending November 13th at 8.2 million barrels per day. That is not only a weekly decrease, but the lowest demand reading since mid-June. As demand dipped, U.S. gasoline stocks increased to nearly 228 million barrels. The country can expect gas prices to continue to push less expensive heading into December.