AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Drivers across Texas are expected to hit the roads in record numbers for the July 4th holiday - and they'll do so with lower prices at the pump, according to the AAA Texas Weekend Gas Watch.
Drivers in the Austin-San Marcos metro area are paying an average of $3.18 a gallon this week, down five cents from last week and $1.36 cheaper than this time last year.
Across the state, the average is also $3.18 a gallon - which is down three cents from last week and $1.33 cheaper than a year ago. Nationwide, drivers are paying an average of $3.55 a gallon, which is also down three cents on the week.
Of the major metropolitan areas surveyed in Texas, drivers in El Paso are paying the most on average at $3.32 per gallon while drivers in San Angelo are paying the least at $2.95 per gallon.
AAA projects that more than three million Texans will take a road trip over the July 4th holiday weekend, with more than 3.8 million traveling in total. Despite the rise in demand, prices have dropped slightly across the state.
Crude oil prices have remained stable, which will likely continue to keep gas prices in check.
“Gas prices are much cheaper this Independence Day than last year,” said AAA Texas spokesperson Joshua Zuber. “Pump price fluctuations remains possible as demand for fuel is strong. However, crude prices have balanced out and will likely keep retail gas prices from increasing much over the busy holiday weekend.”
Texas drivers are paying the seventh-lowest average in the country. The nation's cheapest average is in Mississippi, where drivers are paying $2.98 a gallon on average; drivers in Washington are paying the most, at $4.99 a gallon on average.