Overview
- AAA reported the national average was about $4.56 per gallon on May 20, with every state above $4 and seven states, led by California, now averaging more than $5 per gallon.
- GasBuddy projects the summer (Memorial Day–Labor Day) average near $4.80 per gallon and warns prices could exceed $5 if shipping through the Strait of Hormuz stays restricted.
- AAA expects roughly 45 million Americans to travel this Memorial Day weekend, and surveys show many households are shortening or cancelling trips because of higher fuel costs even as overall travel demand stays strong.
- Regional factors are widening gaps at the pump: refinery outages in California and tight refined-product inventories are driving especially steep prices on the West Coast.
- Federal steps such as Strategic Petroleum Reserve releases, temporary regulatory waivers, and state gas-tax pauses aim to ease pain at the pump but analysts say inventories and shipping disruptions mean retail prices could stay elevated for months or longer.