The national average for a gallon of regular gas dipped below $3.10 this week in many metro areas, and in a handful of Southern states, drivers are seeing prices start with a "2" for the first time in years.
According to AAA tracking, the current US average sits near $3.13, down roughly 40 cents from a year ago and well off the $3.80-plus peaks drivers endured in 2022.
Mississippi, Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas are flirting with averages under $2.85, while California and Washington drivers are still paying north of $4.20 thanks to higher state taxes and stricter fuel blends.
If you live in a state with cheap gas, filling up a 15-gallon tank now costs about $6 less than it did last summer — real money for commuters doing weekly fill-ups.
Several forces are pushing prices down at once.
Refineries have finished seasonal maintenance, switching over to cheaper summer blends later than usual this year, while crude oil has hovered in the mid-$60s per barrel.
Demand has also softened slightly as more workers log remote days, trimming the daily commute for millions of households.
Here's the catch: gas prices are seasonal, and this window tends to close.
Analysts at GasBuddy expect a 10 to 20 cent climb by late spring as travel demand picks up and refineries transition to pricier summer fuel.
That means the next few weeks may be the cheapest stretch you'll see until fall.
There are a few practical moves worth making now.
Apps like GasBuddy, Waze, and Upside routinely surface stations running 15 to 30 cents below the local average, and warehouse clubs like Costco and Sam's Club often undercut nearby pumps by a similar margin.
Paying with a cash-back card that earns 3% or more on gas can quietly shave another 10 cents per gallon off your effective price.
Don't ignore routine maintenance, either.
Underinflated tires can cost you 3 to 5 cents per gallon in wasted fuel, and a dirty air filter drags down mileage further.
Neither fix costs much, and both pay for themselves within a few tanks.
If you drive for work or run a small business with a fleet, this is also a smart moment to revisit your fuel budget assumptions.
Locking in a slightly lower per-mile estimate for the next quarter could free up cash you were bracing to spend at the pump.
The bottom line: this is one of the better gas price stretches in years, but it's a window, not a new normal.
Fill up while it lasts, use an app to find the cheap stations, and don't assume the savings will still be there by Memorial Day.
Final Thoughts
A few minutes of planning now beats grumbling at the pump in June.