Gasoline prices this Memorial Day weekend are at their highest levels in seven years.
But this doesn't keep eager motorists off the road.
California has the highest price of gasoline in the entire country, followed by Hawaii, Nevada, Washington and Oregon, according to the GasBuddy company.
These are the 10 states where fuel is most expensive:
California, $ 4.2
Hawaii, $ 3.9
Nevada, $ 3.6
Washington, $ 3.6
Oregon, $ 3.4
Utah, $ 3.4
Alaska, $ 3.3
Illinois, $ 3.2
Idaho, $ 3.2
Pennsylvania, $ 3.2
"California has basically been on top for the last four or five years,
" GasBuddy chief of oil analysis Patrick De Haan told USA Today.
"Prices on the West Coast tend to be higher," he said.
An estimated 2.5 million people fly on Memorial Day weekend
May 28, 202103: 10
The American Automobile Association (AAA) expects
37 million people to travel by car and plane
on Memorial Day weekend.
This represents an
increase of 60%
over last year.
[California Announces Most Generous US Lottery Prize for Coronavirus Vaccinees: $ 1.5 Million]
Although it is still
13% below
pre-pandemic travel levels, reached during Memorial Day weekend 2019.
Many will choose to travel by plane.
According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), a record was broken on Friday with
more than 1.9 million travelers at the country's airports in a single day
, since March 8, 2020.
However,
the vast majority will choose to reach their destination by car
.
“People are more comfortable traveling in a car.
We are still in a pandemic.
Yes, there are more vaccines but perhaps people feel more comfortable traveling in their own car, ”Sergio Ávila, AAA spokesman, told Noticias Telemundo.
The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline was $ 3.03 this week.
Memorial Day weekend prices haven't been this high since 2014
, when the gallon was at $ 3.65.
[The video of a woman filling bags with gasoline is not related to the recent closure of the pipeline]
Prices rose slightly recently due in part to fuel supply problems caused by the cyberattack on Colonial Pipeline, which forced the shutdown of one of the country's largest pipelines.
"Gasoline prices have been rising for months due to continued increased demand for gasoline as many destinations reopen before the summer season. The closure of the Colonial Pipeline only revealed the increased dependence of consumers on the gasoline since the pandemic occurred, "De Haan said.
However, drivers should not worry too much, as
prices should drop before the summer holidays,
especially in areas where pipeline problems were most severe, De Haan added.
"It must be taken into account that there may be a rebound as we approach the middle of the summer, if the demand for gasoline increases to almost record levels," he said.
The
AAA recommends filling the gas tank before reaching their destination
because prices may be higher in tourist areas.
With information from AP and USA Today.