Local

Gas prices hit record high for Labor Day weekend

US Gas Prices Surge Ahead Of Memorial Day Weekend A fuel pump at a Wawa gas station in Aston, Pennsylvania, US, on Thursday, May 21, 2026. (Matthew Hatcher/Bloomberg via Getty Images) (Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

MIAMI VALLEY — People could be seeing higher prices at the pump as they travel for Labor Day festivities.

Those who plan on traveling by car this holiday may need to factor the cost at the pump into their budget.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

News Center 7’s Taylor Robertson will be LIVE in the Miami Valley with gas prices in your area on News Center 7’s Daybreak.

TRENDING STORIES:

In 2025, the national average price for gas was $3.19. This year, the average is a dollar more with the average to be $4.15.

“People have really prioritized travel and, more importantly, not just travel, that downtime away from work. They’re aware it’s costing them more, but they are willing to do whatever they can to make it all work out,” said Morgan Dean, spokesperson for AAA.

Patrick DeHaan with Gas Buddy said this is the most expensive Labor Day nationally that they’ve seen.

The rise in prices is due to crude oil prices, which account for roughly half the price people pay for gas, said AAA.

Vice President JD Vance on Friday said people should not expect to see gas prices drop anytime soon.

“I’m not gonna make a promise about when it’s going to return to three dollars, but I will say that we have to remember why we are doing this. Number one - it’s so that Iran never has a nuclear weapon, and number two, what we’re doing right now is protecting commercial shipping to ensure that we don’t have a worldwide energy crisis,” said Vance.

To find the cheapest gas prices around the area, go to our WHIO News App and click on Pump Patrol.

[SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

0