Gas prices hit $3.00 per gallon mark nationally: Lower prices should stick

More than 100,000 gas stations in the U.S. have gas prices below $2.99 a gallon, according to data from GasBuddy, a price-tracking site.

The average price nationwide is right at $3.00 per gallon, and in Virginia, the average price is at $2.92 per gallon, nearly 20 cents lower than a year ago at this time.

GasBuddy bases its averages on reports from 150,000 gas stations across the U.S., so, around two-thirds are below $3.00 per gallon.

Patrick De Haan, the head of petroleum analysis at Gas Buddy, thinks the lower prices should stick through the holiday season.

“Millions took to the road for Thanksgiving, and while some regions, like the Great Lakes, saw gas prices rise just in time for travel, most of the nation saw prices hold mostly stable or decline slightly as the national average remains near the lowest level we’ve seen since 2021,” De Haan said.