ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - Nearly 800,000 Missourians are expected to hit the road and do some traveling this Fourth of July holiday weekend and they may notice some abnormally high gas prices, says AAA.
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The travel rate is 24% higher than this time last year and although Missouri still will have some of the cheapest gas in the U.S., it'll be $.93 higher than last year and will be the highest since 2014. AAA says the average price this weekend will be $2.81 per gallon, compared to the national average of $3.12.
Only Mississippi ($2.75), Louisiana ($2.76) and Texas ($2.80) will have a cheaper average price.
According to the latest data from the Energy Information Administration, the U.S. gasoline demand decreased from the week prior by about 3%. Higher demand numbers are likely, however, as we head into the holiday weekend. Global market optimism for oil and gas demand has increased pump prices to the highest they’ve been in Missouri for the Independence Day holiday in seven years.
Of the major metropolitan areas surveyed in Missouri, drivers in Columbia are paying the most on average at $2.89 while drivers in Joplin are paying the least at $2.74 per gallon. In St. Louis, drivers will pay about $2.87.
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