(Photo Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

PARKERSBURG — Across Northern West Virginia the average price for gasoline is five cents lower this week at $2.716 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

In Parkersburg the average price of $2.425 per gallon is the lowest in the region.

Averages for other cities in the region were: $2.678, Bridgeport; $2.610, Clarksburg; $2.763, Huntington; $2.639, Martinsburg; $2.868 Morgantown; $2.898, Weirton and $2.849, Wheeling

According to AAA the holiday season is delivering lower gas prices as travelers hit the road for Christmas 2025.

AAA projects 122.4 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home over the 13-day year-end holiday period beginning ending January 1. This year’s forecast is a 2.2% increase over 2024, surpassing last year’s record of 119.7 million travelers.

“As we continue to set new travel records, it’s clear that most Americans love to travel and make it a priority, especially when making year-end travel plans,” said Jim Garrity, director of public affairs, AAA East Central. “AAA’s projections show that travelers will spend the holidays in a variety of ways, including family road trips, cruises, tropical vacations, and more.”

Most of the trips will be taken by car with 109.5 million Americans expected to travel by car for their year-end trips, an increase of 2% compared to last year.

Driving is the overwhelming favorite among all modes of transportation because of its convenience and low cost. This year, 89% of holiday travelers will take road trips. Gas prices are lower compared to last holiday season when the national average was $3.04 to end 2024. For the first time in four years, the national average dropped below $3 a gallon this month.

Air travel is projected to see a record 8.03 million travelers taking domestic flights this holiday season, a 2.3% increase compared to last year. Travel by other modes is expected to go up by 9% with 4.9 million people traveling by bus, train, or cruise. This category has seen a 25% increase since 2019, mainly due to the record-setting demand for cruises post-pandemic.

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand increased from 8.45 million barrels per day last week to 9.07 million. Total domestic gasoline supply increased from 220.8 million barrels to 225.6 million. Gasoline production increased last week, averaging 9.6 million barrels per day.

The nation’s top 10 most expensive gasoline markets are Hawaii ($4.43), California ($4.33), Washington ($3.96), Alaska ($3.59), Oregon ($3.57), Nevada ($3.46), Washington, DC ($3.17), Arizona ($3.13), Pennsylvania ($3.12), and New York ($3.08).

The nation’s top 10 least expensive gasoline markets are Oklahoma ($2.34), Arkansas ($2.46), Iowa ($2.47), Colorado ($2.49), Wisconsin ($2.51), Texas ($2.51), Mississippi ($2.52), Louisiana ($2.52), Kansas ($2.52), and Tennessee ($2.52).