Gas prices have remained steady for about a week but are still significantly higher than this time last year.
WASHINGTON — Gas prices in the U.S. remained relatively steady over Memorial Day weekend, with the holiday itself seeing a slight decrease in the national average cost per gallon. But experts say the higher prices since the war in Iran started don’t appear likely to go down anytime soon as travelers prepare for summer vacations.
According to the American Automobile Association, the average cost for a gallon of gas in the U.S. on Monday was $4.507. It dipped slightly from Sunday’s $4.515 average, but has remained largely static for over a week.
In California, drivers can expect to pay around $6.116 per gallon, which is the highest state average in the nation. The lowest state average is in Indiana, where gas is $3.917, which is a full 59 cents below the national average. However, it’s still significantly higher than what drivers were paying before spring.
Gas prices have slowly but steadily risen over the past three months, following the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28 that began a war with the country and closed off the Strait of Hormuz. The strait is a narrow waterway through which about a fifth of the world’s oil passes. The ongoing conflict between the U.S. and Iran has made it too dangerous for oil tankers to pass through the competing blockades.
Despite the higher gas prices, AAA predicted that around 45 million Americans would be traveling at least 50 miles away from home over Memorial Day weekend, between May 21 and May 25.
The organization’s travel forecast shows a subtle uptick in domestic travel this year, which could set a new Memorial Day weekend record with 39.1 million people traveling by car and 3.66 million expected to travel by plane.
During the holiday weekend last year, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline was $3.181.
Despite looking fondly in the rearview mirror, experts warn that prices this summer aren’t likely to ease.
Analysts from fuel-savings platform GasBuddy predict an uptick in travel and the costs associated with that travel over the rest of the summer.
“This is the most volatile summer at the pump in years, and the Strait of Hormuz closure is at the center of it,” Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said in a statement. “Americans are going to pay billions more to get where they’re going this summer, and even after the Strait reopens, it could take a year or more for gas prices to fully recover.”
In its 2026 pre-Memorial Day survey, GasBuddy found that 56% of Americans plan to hit the road at some point during the summer, starting with Memorial Day and ending with Labor Day in the fall.