US average gasoline prices this Thanksgiving similar to last

After adjusting for inflation, however, 2025 marks the lowest average gasoline price for the Monday before the Thanksgiving holiday weekend since 2020, when the pandemic disrupted gasoline demand and travel plans.

The Thanksgiving holiday weekend is one of the heaviest travel times of the year. The American Automobile Association (AAA) forecasts 81.8 million people will travel 50 miles or more for the holiday this year, 1.6 million more than 2024. Of the 81.8 million total travelers, AAA expects that 73 million of them will drive.

Retail gasoline prices have declined around US¢12/gal. on average since the end of the summer because of declining crude oil prices and seasonal factors. Gasoline prices are often higher in summer months when gasoline demand is generally higher and when federal and state environmental regulations require the use of summer-grade gasoline, which is more expensive to manufacture.

The falling price of crude oil, which typically accounts for about half of the retail gasoline price, has led to a drop in the price consumers pay for gasoline. The Brent crude oil price, averaging US$63.94/bbl through November 24 2025, is at its lowest monthly average in real terms since December 2020.

US gasoline prices vary regionally, reflecting local supply and demand conditions, state fuel specifications, and state taxes. Retail gasoline prices are usually the highest on the West Coast because of:

• The region’s limited connections with other major refining centres.
• Tight local supply and demand conditions.
• Higher-than-average state taxes in several West Coast states.
• Gasoline specifications for California that make gasoline more costly to produce.

West Coast prices on November 24 2025 averaged US$4.07/gal., a 5% (US$0.19/gal.) increase compared with last year. Gasoline imports to the West Coast have been higher than in previous years because of the closure of the Phillips 66 Wilmington refinery in Los Angeles, further tightening the regional gasoline supply.

The Rocky Mountain region faces similar logistical constraints as the West Coast, although overall the region has both less supply and demand. Rocky Mountain retail gasoline prices averaged US$2.87/gal. on November 24 2025, up 2% from 2024.

Gasoline prices are usually the lowest on the Gulf Coast, home to more than half of US refining capacity and lower gasoline taxes than the national average. On November 24, Gulf Coast retail gasoline prices averaged $2.64/gal, about the same as last year.

On the East Coast, which has the most gasoline demand of the five regions, retail gasoline prices averaged US$2.99/gal., down 1% from last year. In the Midwest, prices averaged US$2.86/gal., similar to last year.

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/refining/27112025/us-average-gasoline-prices-this-thanksgiving-similar-to-last/