Labor Day Travel Is Shaping Up to Be Cheaper Than 2023
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Though many Americans plan to travel further abroad this Labor Day weekend, road trippers may have the advantage of lower fuel prices giving a boost to their vacation plans.
According to AAA, drivers should expect to pay less for gas compared to last year, when the national average was $3.81. Despite the popularity of summer road trips, gas prices have remained steady in recent weeks, hovering around $3.50, and overall gas demand has stayed down due to post-pandemic changes in daily driving habits preventing price spikes.
[Read more: Summer Gas Prices Hold Steady]
Meanwhile, for those traveling in electric vehicles, the national and state averages for L2 commercial electricity remained the same as the previous two weeks as of Aug.15.
Overall, AAA found domestic travel over Labor Day weekend will be up about 9% compared to last year, while the cost to travel domestically is down 2%. Seattle tops the list of destinations for the three-day weekend, with other popular spots including Orlando, Fla.; New York; Boston; Las Vegas; Denver; Chicago and San Francisco.
INRIX, a provider of transportation data and insights, adds car travelers should avoid leaving during the afternoon and early evening hours of Thursday, Aug. 29, and Friday, Aug. 30, as those times will be the most congested. Drivers should hit the road in the morning unless they're leaving on Saturday, Sept. 1, when the best time to travel by car is in the afternoon. Travelers returning on Sunday and on Labor Day, Sept. 2, should leave as early as possible to avoid heavy traffic in the afternoon.
[Read more: Nearly 71M Travelers Expected Over Fourth of July Holiday]
"Drivers should expect the most severe traffic jams before the holiday weekend as commuters mix with travelers," said Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX. "Monitoring traffic apps, local news stations, and 511 traveler information services may help drivers navigate around congestion and reduce driver frustration this Labor Day."
Looking ahead, drivers should be prepared for the possibility of hurricanes hitting the Gulf region and affecting regional refineries, which could cause gas prices to go up as the peak of the storm season approaches in September.