Gas prices won’t deter Memorial Day travel
Pennsylvanians planning to travel Memorial Day weekend – the unofficial start to summer – will pay well over $1 more per gallon at the pump than they did last year.
The average gas price in the keystone state on Tuesday was $4.63 – $1.34 more than the same time in 2025, AAA said.
But the added cost at the pump doesn’t seem to be deterring travelers.
According to AAA, a record 45 million people are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home for the holiday weekend (with more than 39 million traveling by car) with gas prices still 50 cents higher a gallon than they were a month ago and the highest they’ve been for Memorial Day weekend since 2022.
“We’re not seeing people cancel trips. The cost of gas isn’t a deal breaker for people to change their plans,” said Jim Garrity, public affairs director at AAA East Central. “They want to spend time with family and friends, and they view it as a well-earned trip and they’re going ahead with plans.”
Gas prices in Washington, Greene and Fayette counties were among the highest in the state, at $4.82, $4.87, and $4.85 per gallon, respectively.
At that price, it would cost between $57.84 and $77.12 to fill the average-sized gas tank, which holds 12 to 16 gallons, in Washington County – 3 cents cheaper from a week ago.
Nationally, the current price gas for a gallon of regular unleaded gas is $4.53 per gallon.
According to AAA, the increase in demand for gas due to the number of travelers, coupled with the price for a barrel of oil reaching $107, prices could continue to go up through the week and into the weekend.
The highest recorded gas price in the state was $5.07 in June 2022.
Air travel is also growing. AAA projects 3.66 million travelers will take domestic flights over Memorial Day weekend, a small bump over last year. But, notes AAA, most of those trips were booked before rising jet fuel prices started impacting airfare.
There are ways to save a few dollars here and there.
The biggest cost-saver when it comes to gas consumption, says Garrity, is slowing down. Fuel economy drops significantly at highway speeds above 50 miles per hour
“That is something everyone can do right now. When you speed, statistically you put yourself in harm’s way and you burn fuel less efficiently,” said Garrity.
Other suggestions: address “check engine” lights immediately, keep tires properly inflated, and pack smart. Overloading a car can reduce fuel economy, Garrity said.