Summer gas prices drop, but economic uncertainty remains as travel season begins

After paying nearly $40 to fill his tank at a Springdale gas station, Davon Magwood will cancel his East Coast trip this summer if he has to.

He doesn’t want to, but if gas prices aren’t in his budget, he’ll have to cut back on travel.

Prices for regular unleaded gas in Pennsylvania are averaging $3.31 per gallon. Pittsburgh averages $3.47 headed into the Memorial Day unofficial start to summer, according to online fuel tracking site GasBuddy.

That’s about 29 cents higher than the national average.

The good news for Magwood and other travelers this summer is that experts expect gas prices to fall in the coming weeks. Experts say this is normal but not always the case.

“Over the course of the summer, refineries will continue producing gasoline and supplies go up,” said Patrick De Haan, head petroleum analyst at GasBuddy. “Prices usually trend a little bit lower.”

On Memorial Day, gas prices are projected to average $3.08 per gallon. This low price can be attributed to increased, yet low-priced, oil production from OPEC+, according to GasBuddy’s 2025 Summer Travel Survey.

“Crude oil today is like $61 to $62 a barrel; for a while it was in the $70 to $80 range,” said Jim Garrity, director of Public Affairs at AAA Motor Club. “It’s probably why we’ve been spared any major increases to Memorial Day weekend.”

More than 2.2 million motorists will travel on the Pennsylvania Turnpike this weekend, according to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. The busiest day is expected to be Friday, with nearly 770,000 vehicles traveling.

Lucky for Pittsburgh motorists, Memorial Day gas prices will average 40 to 50 cents cheaper than last year.

Disruptions like hurricanes can stall these drops. However, as we inch toward early summer, these disruptions shouldn’t be a problem until August.

“It’s a normal year, gas prices should be at their highest for Memorial Day and should be falling and lower by July Fourth, and at the lowest level around Labor Day,” De Haan said.

This year, price drops matter.

About 69% of Americans plan to take a road trip this summer, which is 7 percentage points fewer than last year, according to GasBuddy.

To motorists, a variety of economic uncertainties are at the forefront when deciding to go on summer trips. Distrust of air travel given a recent spate of airline crashes and mishaps, recent U.S. tariffs, low minimum wages and job insecurity all effect their decisions.

The 25% tariff on Mexico and Canada issued by President Donald Trump in February, alongside an additional 10% tariff on Canada’s energy resources, may up gas prices short term as crude oil imports see a higher tax. Manufacturers of petroleum will also be affected by that higher cost, affecting gasoline cost.

In light of the United States’ tariff wars, motorists won’t feel their effects on gasoline — at least for this weekend.

“It’s too soon to see what that impact is gonna be, but there is gonna be one,” Garrity said.

“People who come to our travel agency, who want to go on vacation, want to know what to do to make that work for them,” he said. “And, of course, what’s great about taking a vacation is, you can find vacations in one of your price ranges.”

Around 45.1 million travelers are expected to drive more than 50 miles for this weekend nationally. That’s an increase of just under 3% from last summer, according to AAA.

Another 3.6 million Americans will fly, which is a 2% increase.

For motorists like Magwood, the whole situation has them reevaluating travel plans.

“It’s inconsistent. I don’t trust what’s been going on — everything from his cuts when Elon was in charge. Basically, I’m at the whims of whatever the president is doing that day,” Magwood said.

Others, however, remain committed to traveling but are depending on lower gas prices.

“I hadn’t been working because I have a baby. … Jobs are still offering barely above minimum wage,” said Kylie Ritchie at a Lower Burrell gas station. She’s planning a trip around mid-summer. “The kids deserve to do something fun, something that’s not crazy expensive.”

And the stress of economic uncertainty can make taking a vacation even more important.

“I need to do something. I just can’t spend my entire life working,” Magwood said. “So, even though I’m unsure, I need to go and take a break.”