Gas prices in Mass. down 42 cents from last Thanksgiving

Gas prices in Massachusetts are down 42 cents compared to this time last year, according to AAA. One gallon at the pump cost an average of $3.01 this week.

That's good news for residents filling up their tanks before visiting friends and family for Thanksgiving — typically the busiest holiday for travel in the U.S.

AAA is expecting 71.7 million people across the country will travel by car for Thanksgiving. That's 1.3 million travelers more than last year, and 1.1 million more than in 2019, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Massachusetts' average gas price is six cents lower than the national average, according to AAA data on Nov. 18.

Mark Schieldrop, AAA Northeast spokesman, said we could see the cheapest gas prices since 2021 this holiday. Still, gas prices remain higher than they were in the five years before the pandemic.

"But interestingly enough, especially with the Thanksgiving holiday, gas prices really don't seem to have a major impact on people's travel plans. It's one of those things," he said. "They just maybe grumble a little bit, but they fill up anyways, and they still go on that trip."

Here's a look at average gas prices in the U.S. over the past 30 years:

Schieldrop said the markets seem to be focused on the long-term global demand at the moment.

“A key factor keeping prices steady has been the continued pace of strong domestic oil and gas production throughout 2024," he said in a statement.

For anyone driving to grandma's house with an electric vehicle, here's a map of charging station locations.

With reporting by WBUR's Fausto Menard