KY drivers will pay more for gas this Thanksgiving than last year. Where to fill up for less
Thanksgiving travelers hitting the road in Kentucky will fill up for a bit more than what they paid this time last year, though prices are trending downward across the state.
Travel company AAA reports the average gallon of regular fuel across Kentucky was $3.306 Wednesday, compared to $3.068 a year ago.
That $3.306 is still a relief for many after this summer, when drivers were pinched by record gas prices across much of the U.S., including Kentucky, where the average price of a gallon of regular peaked at $4.798.
“We’re seeing gas prices continue to trend downward, but only by a penny or two a day,” Lori Weaver Hawkins, with AAA Blue Grass, told the Herald-Leader this week. “We are expecting this trend to continue through the Thanksgiving holiday, barring any unforeseen events on the world stage that could impact oil prices.”
In a Monday news release, AAA said the week’s fuel prices nationally are the highest seen over the Thanksgiving period since the company began recording-keeping in 2000. As of Wednesday, the national average was higher than Kentucky’s at $3.609.
The news release noted demand for fuel fell last week, per the Energy Information Administration, and increased supply coupled with that slower demand has pushed prices down.
AAA predicts 49 million Americans to travel by vehicle to their Thanksgiving celebrations this year, and more than 719,000 Kentuckians will go 50 miles or more, Weaver Hawkins said.
“Despite high gas prices, about 96% [of Kentuckians] will travel by personal vehicle, with another 3% opting to fly and about 1% deciding to travel by train, bus or cruise,” she wrote in an email. “This is very close to pre-pandemic levels (about 98% of what we saw for numbers of travelers in 2019).”
Where can I find cheap gas in Lexington and greater KY?
AAA reported Fayette County prices sat around $3.244 as of Wednesday, though the average was lower in several counties immediately south.
Note: This graphic will automatically update as new data become available.
Crowd-sourced site GasBuddy was showing the lowest price in Lexington as of Wednesday afternoon was the Shamrock at 460 Squires Road at $2.79. Costco, Sam’s Club and the Marathon on Versailles Road had the next cheapest at $2.99 a gallon.
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