SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) – Florida gas prices are dropping as millions of residents prepare to travel for Independence Day, according to AAA.
AAA said Monday that the state average fell 20 cents per gallon over the past week. Prices have dropped 32 cents over the past 11 days, cutting the cost of filling an average-size gas tank by nearly $5.
The decline comes as 4.6 million Floridians are expected to travel for the holiday. AAA said 4.08 million of them are expected to take a road trip.
Florida drivers paid an average of $3.11 per gallon on Independence Day last year. AAA said it is unlikely the state average will fall that low before this year’s holiday, but the average could test the 2024 holiday level of $3.53 per gallon.
AAA attributed the recent drop partly to lower crude oil prices. The organization said U.S. oil prices fell 16% over the past two weeks amid hopes that an agreement between the U.S. and Iran would lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
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Since an agreement was announced last weekend, AAA said oil prices dropped $8.28 per barrel, or 10%, while Florida’s average gas price declined 20 cents per gallon.
“Florida’s state average is now the lowest since early March,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman for AAA — The Auto Club Group. “Lower gas prices come at an ideal time for summer travel and offer some financial relief for drivers. Still, the outlook remains uncertain. Developments involving the Strait of Hormuz will continue to influence whether prices rise or fall.”
AAA’s report listed Florida’s average for regular unleaded at $3.632 per gallon Sunday. The national average was $3.938.
Local prices were slightly lower in parts of the Tampa Bay and Suncoast region, according to AAA data included with the report. The Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice metro area showed an average of $3.575 for regular unleaded, while the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro area showed an average of $3.555.
AAA listed West Palm Beach-Boca Raton as the state’s most expensive metro market at $3.82 per gallon, followed by Miami at $3.75, Tallahassee at $3.74 and Fort Lauderdale at $3.71.
The least expensive metro markets were Pensacola at $3.41, Melbourne-Titusville at $3.48 and Crestview-Fort Walton Beach at $3.50.
AAA said drivers can conserve gasoline by combining errands, avoiding aggressive acceleration and speeding, removing excess weight from vehicles and shopping around for lower prices.
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