Utah’s gas price slips below national average as Thanksgiving travel picks up

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s average fuel price slipped below the national average this week, giving drivers in the Beehive State something to be thankful for just in time for one of the busiest travel weeks of the year.

The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in the Beehive State is now $3.05, about 2 cents below the national average, according to AAA’s fuel price index, updated on Tuesday — when traditional Thanksgiving holiday travel begins.

Gas prices typically fall around this point in the year because driving drops in the winter and the “winter blend” produced at this time of the year is cheaper to produce, Julian Paredes, a spokesman for AAA Utah, explained last year.

This annual decline has been more beneficial for consumers than in years past. The national average has remained stagnant over the past week, but it trended downward for weeks before that, putting itself in a position to potentially drop below $3 for the first time since 2021.

This is why the organization estimates nearly 72 million Americans will drive at least 50 miles at some point between Tuesday and early next week for Thanksgiving.

“The cost of travel is still pretty high, but it is coming down a little bit,” Paredes told KSL NewsRadio last week. “The cost of gas is cheaper as well. It’s definitely going to motivate some people to drive a little bit more than they used to.”

Utah transportation officials warned Utah drivers to expect delays of up to 20 minutes on southbound I-15 Tuesday afternoon and evening just from possible Thanksgiving travel and not from a storm passing through the state.

Additional Thanksgiving-related travel delays of 10 to 15 minutes are expected on southbound I-15 in Salt Lake County and the Nephi area, as well as on northbound I-15 in Davis County Wednesday afternoon and evening.

Utah’s fuel index

There is quite a bit of range in Utah’s prices. Anyone hitting the road this week will likely find the cheapest prices scattered across northern Utah through central Utah, including the Wasatch Front.

At $2.88 per gallon, Millard Couty boasts the cheapest average as of Tuesday, according to AAA. It’s followed by Carbon ($2.89), Wasatch ($2.93), Box Elder (2.95), Cache ($2.96), and Sevier ($2.97) counties; however, all of the Wasatch Front counties are now also listed by the statewide average.

Anyone traveling to or from southern and eastern Utah is more likely to find higher prices. AAA says the average price is as high as $3.60 per gallon in Daggett County. Grand ($3.53), San Juan ($3.47), Beaver ($3.46), Garfield ($3.37), and Piute ($3.35) counties round out the top five in expansive averages.

AAA doesn’t have a countywide breakdown of electric vehicle charging prices, but it says Utah’s average of $0.29 per kilowatt-hour remains the sixth lowest in the nation.