(The Center Square) – As travelers plan to hit the road for the Christmas holiday this week, gas prices continue to fall across Ohio.
The American Automobile Association says low crude oil prices and high supply have led to drops below $3 a gallon nationally for the first time in more than a year.
“The national average dropped more than 4 cents since last week to $2.89. This is the cheapest December at the pump since the end of 2020. Crude oil prices remain low, and despite an increase in gasoline demand over the holidays, supply is strong. Overall, 2025 has been a stable year for the national average with few fluctuations and no sharp spikes,” AAA said in a news release.
The same type of decrease can be seen in Ohio, where the average price dipped to $2.58, well below the national average and more than 20 cents less than last week’s price.
A month ago, Ohioans paid more than $2.90 a gallon and more than $3.11 a year ago.
The highest prices in the state can be found along the Ohio River, where nine counties are averaging between $2.72 and $2.86 per gallon, including Athens County, which has an average of more than $2.86 – the state’s highest.
A handful of counties in northern Ohio also show the highest averages.
By contrast, a string of 14 counties from Lake Erie to the Ohio River in western Ohio has the state’s lowest prices, averaging between $2.33 and $2.41 a gallon.
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Both Hancock and Shelby counties are averaging $2.33, the lowest in the state.
This Christmas, AAA projects 122.4 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home from Dec. 21 to Jan. 1. This is a 2.2% increase over 2024, surpassing last year’s record of 119.7 million travelers.