Gas prices fall ahead of busy Thanksgiving travel

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- As millions of people prepare to travel to their Thanksgiving destinations, gas prices are down compared to last year.

In the Philadelphia region, a gallon of regular is around $3.16, compared to $3.55 in 2023.

"Going into a time that many Americans are hitting the road, we're still seeing significantly lower prices this year compared to last year," said Patrick De Haan of Gasbuddy.com.

READ MORE: Thanksgiving travel begins as AAA predicts record-breaking numbers

The lower prices are a welcome sight for travelers.

"They've definitely dropped, so maybe some people will go visit some family out of town," said Kyle Richards of Roxborough.

According to AAA, nearly 80 million Americans will travel over the holidays -- a vast majority by car.

The best day to travel, according to analytics company INRIX, is Thanksgiving Day. It will still be crowded, but travelers are just glad that gas prices are down.

"I feel like everybody needs a little bit of relief and maybe this is just a good thing to be thankful for. Gas prices are dropping, groceries aren't," said Richards.