They keep falling.
Even after an unexplained uptick at the start of last week, AAA is reporting that Florida gas prices are now the lowest of 2023. The state average dropped 15 cents last week, settling at $3.00 per gallon of regular unleaded on Sunday. You can round down to a statewide average of $2.987 for Monday morning.
"Oil and gasoline futures prices plummeted last week, after a weekly fuel report showed strong refinery activity, leading to big gains in gasoline supplies," said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA - The Auto Club Group. "About 35% of Florida gas stations now have fuel below $3 a gallon. Nearly 10% of retailers have prices in the low $2.70s. While prices could bounce around in the coming weeks, drivers should expect pump prices to remain low through the holidays unless oil prices suddenly spike."
Florida is below the national average of $3.15 per gallon, and Osceola County, at $2.92, is below the state average, although it's not hard to find a retail location in the $2.80s and a wholesale club (Costco or BJs, for example) in the $2.70s. That local average is off 2 cents since the weekend, almost 20 cents in the last week and 28 cents in the last month.
And this news comes on the heals of another AAA report that some 6.6 million Floridians -- including 6 million by car, over 25 percent of the state's population -- will travel 50 miles or more during the upcoming year-end holiday travel period, between Dec. 23 and Jan. 1. Drivers can expect to pay about the same or less for a gallon of gas than they did last holiday season, when the Florida average on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day was $2.99 and $3.24, respectively.
AAA said it expects nearly 218,000 (3.4%) more Florida travelers than last year, the previous record high, and that figure does not include visitors from out of state. Nationally, 115.2 Americans, one-third of people, are making travel plans, the highest since 2019.
“AAA has seen steady year-over-year growth in travel demand, culminating with what is expected to be the busiest year-end holiday travel season on record in Florida, and the second-busiest nationwide,” said Debbie Haas, Vice President of Travel for AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Despite various inflationary pressures, Americans are still willing to budget for travel. With a record number of travelers, the roads, airports and cruise lines will be more crowded than normal. So finalize your travel plans now, anticipate longer lines, and give yourself extra time to get to your destination.”
