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Holiday travel expected to approach pre-pandemic levels
If you're hitting the roads, the air, or even the water in the coming weeks, it's going to be crowded.
TAMPA, Fla. - Florida's gas prices are continuing their downward trend, falling another 12 cents in the last week.
The average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in Florida was down to $3.15 on Monday, and motorists could see more relief as they travel for the holidays.
According to AAA, the $3.15 average was down from $3.57 a month ago — a 42-cent drop.
"The state average could easily sink below $3 a gallon before Christmas Day," AAA spokesperson Mark Jenkins said.
RELATED: Average price of gas plunges to cheapest in over a year
Average prices are already below $3 in Panama City and Pensacola, while the highest prices were in the West Palm Beach area at $3.36 a gallon, the Naples area at $3.32 a gallon, and the Gainesville area at $3.31 a gallon.
"Economic recession concerns have kept downward pressure on the global fuel market, causing crude oil prices to plummet, dragging gas prices down with them," Jenkins said.
Prices are already below what drivers paid during the holidays last year. In 2021, Florida gas prices averaged $3.23 per gallon on Christmas Day, and $3.22 per gallon on New Year's Eve.
Florida's average is also lower than the national average of $3.26 a gallon.
RELATED: 2022 holiday travel season: What to expect on the roads and in the air
Meanwhile, AAA projected 6.3 million Floridians will travel 50 miles or more for the end-of-year holidays.
"Americans are spending more on travel than any other time in the past two years," Debbie Haas, AAA vice president of travel, said in a statement. "The good news is the cost for a holiday road trip will be less expensive than anticipated, now that gas prices are on the way down."
Most of the expected Florida travelers, 5.8 million, will journey by car. Another 336,145 Floridians will travel by air.
The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.