AAA report: State gas prices dip for record holiday travel

There might be an extra present under the tree as families get ready to hit the road for the holidays with declining gasoline prices across Florida, including Orlando.

Attentive drivers may have noticed that prices at the pump have fallen consistently in the past 16 days by an average of 12 cents, according to the AAA auto and travel club.

The average price at Florida stations for regular unleaded gasoline is $2.42 per gallon. Orlando prices fell by 5 cents in the last week and to an average of $2.35 per gallon of self-serve, regular gasoline.

Lower prices are coming at a time where AAA expects to see a record number of travelers on the highways.

“More Americans than ever on record – 115.6 million – will travel this holiday season, from Saturday, Dec. 21 through Wednesday, Jan. 1,” said Julie Hall, a AAA spokeswoman. “That is the most in nearly 20 years since AAA began tracking in 2000.”

AAA estimates 104.8 million Americans are choosing to drive to their destination, which is nearly 4 million more than 2018.

As has been the case for years now, AAA listed Orlando as the No. 1 visiting location on its list of 10 most popular destinations in the United States.

The declining price is surprising given the price of crude remains high due to small dips in U.S. crude supplies, AAA reported. Crude prices reached $61.22 per barrel, $20 more than last year, and the highest price in three months.

While prices are comparatively lower than they were a month ago, gasoline prices were actually much lower in Orlando the previous year with an average at $2.12.