Which states had the highest gas prices this July 4th?

Mapping state by state gas prices from 2021 to 2024

7/5/24 6:09AM

Whether you're traveling to see family or just escaping the city, filling up your vehicle this July 4th weekend most likely won’t be quite as painful as it was last year.

According to data from AAA, the national average gas price on Independence Day was $3.515, about a dime less than it was on July 4th last year and over a dollar lower than the highs seen in 2022, when gas prices soared across the country. The price drop will be a welcome relief for the record 60 million people the AAA predicts will travel by car this holiday week.

Gas prices, plastered in gigantic font on the side of most roads, are particularly prominent economic indicators in the minds of Americans. With inflation continuing to top the lists of concerns about the state of the nation, this is more true than ever.

So, if you're planning a cross-country road trip to celebrate the nation's birthday, it might pay to be as strategic as you can about where you fuel up. Stopping off in Southern states like Mississippi ($2.99), Louisiana ($3.06), or Texas ($3.10) and avoiding gas stations in California ($4.79) would be a wise choice.

Explore 4 years of Independence Day gas prices with the map below.

Saleah Blancaflor

5/15/26

From Desi Arnaz to SpaceX: Understanding the rules of the modern economy

We talked with “Planet Money” author Alex Mayyasi about how AI might help or replace you, the superstar effect, and how the compounding effect extends beyond money.

Globes covered with various currencies suspended in space

Millie Giles5/8/26

Ahead of Mother’s Day, Google searches for “same day flower delivery” have ticked up a little earlier this year

If you’ve already made plans for a Mother’s Day gift in advance of this Sunday, congratulations. But if alarm bells are suddenly ringing, consider this a gentle reminder that, like a sizable share of the US population this time of year often does, you can still scrape together some last-minute flowers for the woman who carried you for nine months.

Data from Google Trends reveals that searches for “same day flower delivery” spike in the US in May every year, when Mother’s Day takes place. As we noted last February, the same query also gains traction around Valentine’s Day.

This year, however, it appears that searches for last-minute flowers have remained elevated in the last two months after the usual peak in February — with the search interest this April actually exceeding that seen around Cupid’s Day.

Honestly, we’re not sure why searches are spiking a little early. One explanation might be that Passover and Easter have overlapped at the start of April, and Americans wanted to celebrate with some flowers. Maybe it’s a host of Claude bots that are now running errands for AI-obsessed execs — or perhaps Americans are just impulse-buying some seasonal spring blooms after an unusually warm March, without a particular occasion.