Filling tanks before giving thanks. How Modesto gas prices look as holiday travel nears
Gasoline prices fell an average of 5.9 cents per gallon in Modesto in the past week as people plan to hit the roads for the Thanksgiving holiday.
The average price for regular was $4.97 per gallon Monday, according to a GasBuddy survey. Local gasoline costs ranged from a low of $4.49 to $5.79 a gallon.
Gasoline prices in Modesto have dropped by 73.6 cents a gallon over the past month, following a national trend.
Fuel costs still are all over the place in California. The American Automobile Association said the average price was $5.25, but drivers in different parts of the state can pay as high as $7.48 per gallon. The lowest price in California was $3.79.
One organization cited evidence that high fuel prices were changing driving habits.
Analysts for QuoteWizard said 58% of California drivers canceled a roadway trip in the past week, citing the cost of filling their tanks. QuoteWizard is an online source for comparing insurance rates.
The report found that 36% of California drivers have begun carpooling or ride-sharing and more people are taking public transportation. The evidence for changes in driving behavior comes from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey.
Though gasoline prices are substantially higher than in previous years, the American Automobile Association predicts a heavy amount of Thanksgiving travel this week in the U.S. According to the AAA’s forecast, 54 million will travel at least 50 miles for Thanksgiving, which will make Thanksgiving 2022 the third busiest since 2000.
The association projects that 49 million will travel by car, while 4.5 million will fly.
The automobile association also noted that some Thanksgiving travelers were choosing other modes of transportation other than driving or air travel, such as buses, trains and cruise ships. About 1.4 million were choosing those options, the association said, which is an increase of 23% over last year and double the number in 2019.
According to a GasBuddy survey of stations, the cheapest prices for gas in Stanislaus County on Monday were $4.49 for regular at Triple R Gas and Market in Waterford; $4.51 at Triple R, 2925 E. Whitmore Ave., in Ceres; $4.53 at BZ Mart, 1510 Miller St., Modesto; $4.55 at Kwik Serv, 1700 Yosemite Blvd., Modesto; and $4.59 at ARCO am/pm, 2507 N. Ninth St., Ceres.
This story was originally published November 21, 2022 at 4:34 PM.
