Seventy-two million people are expected to travel more than 50 miles away from their homes over the Fourth of July holiday week, and more than 61 million of them are expected to drive for those trips, according to the AAA Auto Club.
The expected number of car travelers is similar to the 61 million who took road trips for the July Fourth holiday in 2025, despite stubbornly high gas prices, AAA said.
“For many Americans, traveling the week of July 4th is tradition,” Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel, said in a statement. “The 9-day travel forecast includes travelers who are vacationing all week and people just getting away for the long holiday weekend. While the overall number of Independence Day travelers appears to be plateauing, we’re still expecting record volumes this year.”
The holiday travel forecast comes as the national average price for a gallon of gas on July 2 was $3.83, according to AAA. USA TODAY took a look at how much drivers should be expecting to pay as they hit the road for the holiday weekend.
How High Are Gas Prices Expected to Be on the July Fourth Weekend?
The national average price of gas has fallen from $4.35 a month ago on May 30, to $3.84 on June 30.
Analysts said they expected prices to continue to fall heading into the Fourth of July holiday weekend, but they are not likely to return immediately to pre-Iran war levels.
“Average gasoline prices fell in 46 states over the last week, with diesel declining in 49, pushing the national average to its lowest level since mid-March,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, in a blog post. “The declines came despite a turbulent week, as fresh attacks were traded between the U.S. and Iran before both sides agreed to halt hostilities just in time Sunday, preventing what could have been a significant spike in oil prices.”
De Haan added that “for now, GasBuddy anticipates the national average will continue drifting lower this week, though the situation remains anything but predictable.”
“A handful of price-cycling states could see prices jump ahead of the July 4 holiday, while many states that already cycled higher last week should see prices fall back down,” he said. “Motorists in non-cycling states are likely to see continued relief, but the fragile nature of the U.S.-Iran situation means the outlook could shift quickly.”
Which States Have the Cheapest Gas Heading Into the Holiday?
Indiana has the cheapest gas prices in the United States, with drivers there paying an average of $3.18 on June 30, according to AAA. That was down from an average price of $3.32 per gallon in Indiana on June 23.
Here are the top 5 states with the cheapest gas prices in the nation:
1. Indiana
- Average gas price on June 30: $3.18
- Average gas price on June 23: $3.32
- Difference in price: -14 cents
2. Texas
- Average gas price on June 30: $3.29
- Average gas price on June 23: $3.38
- Difference in price: -9 cents
3. Oklahoma
- Average gas price on June 30: $3.37
- Average gas price on June 23: $3.43
- Difference in price: -6 cents
4. Tennessee
- Average gas price on June 30: $3.41
- Average gas price on June 23: $3.48
- Difference in price: -7 cents
5. Kentucky
- Average gas price on June 30: $3.44
- Average gas price on June 23: $3.55
- Difference in price: -11 cents
Reporting by Keith Laing, USA TODAY / USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
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