Business & Tech

Memorial Day Weekend Gas Prices Up in Northern Virginia

Commuters in NoVa are paying $3.57 per gallon right now—lower than last year, but higher than earlier this spring.

Heading out of town for Memorial Day this weekend?

You'll be paying less at the pump than you did last year even though the Northern Virginia area has seen prices spike in recent weeks.

Average gas prices for the Northern Virginia region this week are at $3.57 for a gallon of regular unleaded gas, down from $3.69 a gallon a year ago, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic.

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Paying $3.57 a gallon at the pump is better than what many Minnesotans are paying right now—an average of $4.27 a gallon, the highest prices in the country, according to the Star Tribune.

Northern Virginia is faring better on gas prices than many other parts of the country, according to AAA. Currently, Virginia’s retail average is 26 cents cheaper than the national average. District residents are paying 10 cents more than their counterparts across the country. Some analysts think midsummer street prices will average $3.20 to $3.40.

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The national rate is $3.65 per gallon.

Heavy Memorial Day Travel Ahead

Changes in gas prices evidently won't affect anyone's holiday plans driving to Rehoboth Beach, Virginia Beach and other holiday destinations.

“Despite the recent volatility in gasoline prices in some areas, nearly 62 percent of local households say the rising cost of gas will have little or no impact on their holiday travel plans,” said John B. Townsend II, AAA Mid-Atlantic’s manager of Public and Government Affairs, in a news release.

“It is both probable and possible pump prices will surpass year-ago prices over the next few weeks. Even so, consumers probably won’t realize any comfort at the pumps until mid-June at the earliest, or see little real relief until after the Fourth of July at the latest.”  

Contrary to popular belief, the elevation in retail gasoline prices has little to do with Memorial Day, which signals the advent of the busy summer travel season, according to AAA.

Instead, some analysts are pointing the finger of blame at an unfortunate series of planned and unplanned refinery outages, primarily in the nation’s mid-section, including the Chicago area, and on the West Coast, resulting in tight supplies and runaway prices in Minnesota and North Dakota. At least six other Midwestern states are in danger of seeing record-breaking prices.  

Prices at Popular Beach Destinations

Travelers headed to popular area destinations may find gas prices lower than that. The lowest gas prices Monday in Rehoboth Beach, according to Delawaregasprices.com, were between $3.46 to $3.59 per gallon. Delawaregasprices.com reports the cheapest prices for the First State over the weekend were "downstate" where many stations were still offering a gallon of regular for under $3.40 a gallon.

In Virginia Beach, the lowest gas prices, as of Monday, were at $3.21 to $3.27 per gallon. People headed to the Outer Banks will find the lowest prices at about $3.54 a gallon, as of Monday, according to Mapquest.

Travelers with a smart phone can download the ‘VDOT 511’ app which offers a variety of services. It includes real-time traffic maps and a "Reach the Beach" feature, which offers time estimates to different routes to popular beach destinations. 

Gas Prices as of Monday, May 20, 2013 (self-serve regular)

Location

Price Today

Price Yesterday

Month Ago

Year Ago

Washington, D.C.

$3.75

$3.75

$3.83

$3.82

Metro Area

$3.57

$3.57

$3.59

$3.68

Maryland

$3.50

$3.50

$3.50

$3.63

Suburban Maryland

$3.57

$3.56

$3.58

$3.68

Virginia

$3.39

$3.39

$3.41

$3.52

West Virginia

$3.66

$3.65

$3.61

$3.75

National

$3.65

$3.65

$3.51

$3.69

Gas price chart courtesy of AAA Mid-Atlantic.


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