(January 2, 2018) At $2.49, the national gas price average is the most expensive seen at the start of a new year since 2014, when gas prices were more than $3/gallon. High travel volumes over the holidays drove gas prices up five cents on the week, according to AAA.

At the start of 2018, motorists in the Northeast, South and the upper Midwest are seeing pump prices as much as 13 cents more expensive than last one week ago.

“Although prices at the pump shot up over the holidays, now that the holiday season in the rearview mirror, motorists can expect gas prices to trend cheaper this month as we are likely to see a significant drop in gasoline demand,” said Jeanette Casselano, AAA spokesperson.

The latest Energy Information Administration (EIA) report measures gasoline demand at a strong 9.5 million barrels a day, which is typical of the holiday season. However, historical data shows that in early January demand typical drops and stays below the 9 million mark for the first few months of the year.

Quick Stats

    The nation’s top 10 states with the largest yearly changes are: Alaska (+39 cents), Montana (+35 cents), California (+34 cents), Oregon (+30 cents), Hawaii (+27 cents), Washington (+24 cents), Wyoming (+24 cents), Indiana (+23 cents), Nevada (+22 cents) and Utah (+22 cents).

    The nation’s top 10 states with the least expensive gasoline are: Missouri ($2.22), Oklahoma ($2.22), Alabama ($2.22), Arkansas ($2.23), Mississippi ($2.23), South Carolina ($2.24), Texas ($2.24), Louisiana ($2.26), Tennessee ($2.26) and Kansas ($2.28).