The unofficial start to summer comes with a higher price tag for travelers looking to hit the road for Memorial Day weekend this year.
For the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton metro area, the average price of regular gasoline rose to $4.61 a gallon, as of Thursday, an increase of $1.40 from the same time last year, according to AAA data.
Jures Makena, of Scranton, fills up his vehicle at the Sheetz on Mt. Pleasant Dr. in Scranton Thursday, May 21, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Gas prices are displayed at the Sheetz in Scranton Thursday, May 21, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
A vehicle sits at a gas pump at the Sheetz on Mt. Pleasant Dr. in Scranton Thursday, May 21, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Show Caption
1 of 3
Jures Makena, of Scranton, fills up his vehicle at the Sheetz on Mt. Pleasant Dr. in Scranton Thursday, May 21, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
The national average stood at $4.56 on Thursday — up $1.38 from last May — and the statewide average of $4.64 represents an increase of $1.33 over last May, according to AAA data.
While AAA officials predict nearly 50,000 Wilkes-Barre area residents will travel a distance of 50 miles or more over the long Memorial Day weekend, 0.2% higher than last year, Jana Tidwell, manager of public and government affairs for AAA Club Alliance, noted the elevated prices are having an impact on drivers.
“Continued economic uncertainties and concerns over rising prices have led to the smallest year over year travel growth rate we’ve seen in more than a decade, outside of the COVID impacts in 2020,” she said.
Throughout Northeast Pennsylvania, Luzerne and Schuylkill counties had the lowest average gas price of $4.58, as of Thursday, followed by Wayne County at $4.62, Lackawanna County at $4.64, and Pike and Susquehanna at $4.71, according to AAA data.
The majority of Wilkes-Barre area travelers — 90%, more than 44,000 — will travel by car, a modest 0.1% increase from last year, and more than 3,500 will opt to fly to their destinations, a slight 0.3% decrease. The nearly 1,600 travelers choosing a train, bus or cruise ship represents a 3.8% increase over last year, AAA officials said.
Stephen Mykulyn, interim executive director for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport in Pittston Twp., expects a busy weekend at AVP but stated no flights were added for Memorial Day.
“We’re staffed up,” he said. “I’m sure we’ll be a little bit closer to capacity on some of the flights. With it being a holiday weekend, sometimes people take advantage of that opportunity.”
Last year, for the three-day weekend, 3,236 people traveled through TSA security checkpoints at the airport, said Beth Coslett, air service development specialist at AVP.
“I can tell you from my own experience, having flown last weekend, rates are up a little on tickets,” Mykulyn said. “If you’re tracking costs on flights, people are trying to get ahead of what might come up as far as spikes, so any opportunity where they see a dip in fares, people are taking advantage of the opportunity.”
Nationally, AAA projects 45 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles over the long weekend, as this year’s domestic travel forecast is slightly higher than last year and would set a new Memorial Day weekend record, with 39.1 million people traveling by car and 3.66 million expected to fly to their destinations, officials added.
While gas prices are higher than last Memorial Day weekend, average ticket prices for flights are lower than last year for those who booked early, AAA officials said.
According to AAA data, which is based on what travelers paid when they booked their trips, roundtrip domestic flights are 6% cheaper compared to last year, with an average ticket costing $800, according to the report released May 11. However, most of those trips were booked before rising jet fuel prices started affecting airfare.
Drivers should expect heavy Memorial Day congestion on Friday, between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., and Monday afternoon, with Sunday as the lightest day for traffic, barring any unexpected events on the road, according to INRIX, a provider of transportation data and insights.
The weather forecast may also disrupt plans in the region during the holiday weekend — specifically on Saturday — said Bryan Greenblatt, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
“It looks like Saturday is definitely the wettest day of the weekend with widespread showers pretty much most of the day,” he said. “It looks pretty close to a washout with highs only in the mid 50s, which is pretty chilly for this time of the year, especially coming off the warm weather we recently had.”
Greenblatt added Friday looks like the best day of the extended weekend with mostly sunny skies and highs in the lower 70s.
According to an annual summer travel survey released Wednesday by GasBuddy, an app-based fuel savings service, that polled about 2,000 people, 56% of Americans plan to take a road trip — defined by a trip over two hours — at least once this summer, down from 69% a year ago, said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy.
“We tend to see the higher (gasoline) prices are reducing Americans’ desire to hit the road,” he said. “It’s been quite a dramatic increase in the last couple months, and that’s unfortunately reducing the appetite for motorists to take as many trips, or trips altogether, this summer.”
Katie Blume, political and legislative director for Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania, provides remarks during a news conference with state legislators and advocates Thursday morning, on the grounds of the Mid Valley School District in Throop, aimed at urging elected officials in the state and country to take action on proposed bills to help lower energy prices and save Pennsylvanians money at the pump. (ROBERT TOMKAVAGE/STAFF PHOTO)
Before many travelers embarked on their Memorial Day journeys, state Rep. Kyle Mullins, D-112, Blakely; state Rep. Kyle Donahue, D-113, Scranton; Katie Blume, political and legislative director for Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania; and Alisha Hoffman-Mirilovich, executive director for Action Together NEPA, gathered at electric vehicle charging stations at the Mid Valley School District to push for action from elected officials to address rising gas prices and electric bills as the summer approaches.
Mullins called for solutions to help residents afford the costs of traveling to work and other activities.
“Gas prices are continuing to rise and working families are bearing the brunt of it,” he said. “We need to build more charging stations, lower the barrier to clean vehicle ownership, shield Pennsylvanians from unpredictable fuel spikes, and support our labor unions. Investing in EV infrastructure isn’t just about being green, it’s about economic survival. It gives our families a way to opt out of the corporate price gouging at the gas pump. Instead of focusing on economic stability, we’ve seen noting but chaos from Washington … while our neighbors in Blakely, Scranton, Jessup, Olyphant, Throop and Carbondale struggle.”
Blume sees families shortening their holiday ventures this year.
“As folks are gassing up their cars for Memorial Day, and to go away on a summer vacation, they’re forced to cut back on even short trips down to the shore, or even 30 miles away to a cabin in the Poconos,” she said. “Gas is up more than $1.50 in most areas since the end of February and electric bills in the area are up more than 20% in the last year.”
Alisha Hoffman-Mirilovich, executive director for Action Together NEPA, provides remarks during a news conference with state legislators and advocates Thursday morning, on the grounds of the Mid Valley School District in Throop, aimed at urging elected officials in the state and country to take action on proposed bills to help lower energy prices and save Pennsylvanians money at the pump. (ROBERT TOMKAVAGE/STAFF PHOTO)
Additionally, while people attempt to budget funds for a holiday excursion or summer vacation, Hoffman-Mirilovich stressed many families are struggling just to afford basic essentials.
“Every day, we hear from our members how difficult it is to afford day-to-day things,” she said.
Hoffman-Mirilovich added many Pennsylvanians face difficult decisions like purchasing gas to drive their children to school or buying groceries that day, or choosing to buy medication or putting gas in their car to get to work.
“Our neighbors are struggling to make ends meet and need relief now,” she said.
State Rep. Kyle Mullins, D-112, Blakely, provides remarks during a news conference with other state legislators and advocates Thursday morning, on the grounds of the Mid Valley School District in Throop, aimed at urging elected officials in the state and country to take action on proposed bills to help lower energy prices and save Pennsylvanians money at the pump. (ROBERT TOMKAVAGE/STAFF PHOTO)