- U.S. gas prices are rising, potentially reaching $5 per gallon soon.
- AAA projects 45 million Americans will travel for Memorial Day despite costs.
- Poll shows 66% of Utahns consider gas prices a major travel concern.
SALT LAKE CITY — Just as a record number of travelers get set to hit the road this Memorial Day weekend, U.S. gas prices are heading north again, and industry watchers say the $5 per gallon benchmark could be around the next bend.
And as the traditional start to the summer travel season gets underway, higher costs for gas and airfare, along with inflation, are generally major considerations for Utahns making vacation plans.
In its annual report ahead of the holiday weekend, AAA is projecting some 45 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home to celebrate Memorial Day between Thursday and Monday. An overwhelming majority of those travelers, 39.1 million, are expected to take to the roads over that period, surpassing last year's road trip total in spite of fuel prices running far ahead of 2025 rates.
"Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, and for most Americans, it's a three-day weekend," Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel, said in the report. "Travel demand remains strong, and despite higher fuel prices, many people are prioritizing leisure travel during holiday breaks."
The average price of a gallon of regular across the U.S. on Wednesday was $4.56, per AAA, up from $4.51 a week ago and almost $1.40 more than the $ 3.18-per-gallon average from this time last year. The current average price is the highest ever heading into the Memorial Day holiday, except in 2022, when the U.S. average was $4.61 per gallon following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Utah drivers who fill up near home before heading out for the holiday will face even stiffer pricing.
As of Wednesday, a gallon of regular was averaging $4.70 across the Beehive State, with those living in and around St. George seeing the highest average at $4.80 per gallon.
Continued fallout from the Iran war, including restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz, a critical passageway for outgoing petroleum products from Persian Gulf nations, is once again affecting consumer prices at the pump.
"The national average price of gasoline spent much of last week drifting lower after jumping early in the week as oil prices softened on hopes that diplomatic progress between the U.S. and Iran could help ease supply concerns," said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, in a blog post earlier this week.
"However, that optimism faded after President Trump's meeting with China's Xi Jinping failed to produce a breakthrough on Iran, while renewed warnings toward Tehran have helped push oil prices higher again. With global oil inventories continuing to trend toward historically tight levels, markets remain extremely sensitive to geopolitical developments and potential supply disruptions.
"As a result, gasoline and diesel prices are likely to remain volatile, and with Memorial Day approaching, any sustained increase in oil prices could begin pushing retail fuel prices higher again in the weeks ahead."
De Haan told CNN on Wednesday that he expects the national average gas price to hit $5 per gallon at some point next month if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed.
Here's what we heard from Utahns about gas prices and summer travel plans
New statewide polling by the Deseret News in partnership with the University of Utah's Hinckley Institute of Politics finds fuel prices the top concern for Utah households when it comes to summer travel plans. For many, the elevated costs will have big impacts on vacation decisions this year.
When asked to rate their relative levels of consideration for a variety of factors when making travel decisions in the next three months, 66% of respondents said gas prices were a major consideration and 63% called inflation a major concern.
Gen Xers expressed the highest level of concern about gas prices, while baby boomers expressed the lowest, according to the survey.
Accommodations were much less of a stress point, with only 28% identifying the availability of hotel rooms as a major consideration for their summer travel plans.
The cost of plane tickets also figured largely for Utahns, 53% of whom ranked airfare as a major consideration. For Gen Xers, that figure went up to 61%, while for Gen Zers it was 41%.
U.S. airfare rates, which have been pressured by the rising cost of jet fuel, are up about 18% since this time last year, with the average domestic round-trip flight costing $358, according to a report from Yahoo Finance. International flights have also become pricier, with the average cost of a round-trip economy flight from the U.S. to foreign destinations up $115, to $1,064, compared to last year.
The new poll also explored the extent to which higher gas prices would affect Utah households' summer travel plans.
While only 14% of poll participants said they would likely cancel planned trips because of fuel costs, 44% report they will probably take fewer trips, 22% said the trips they take will be shorter and 17% said gas prices will have no impact on travel plans this summer.
Morning Consult conducted the poll of 802 registered Utah voters May 15-18. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
