Gasoline Falls Below 4 Dollars a Gallon for First Time Since July
The national average price for regular gasoline fell to $3.98 a gallon on November 10, the first time below $4 since July, AAA reported on Tuesday morning.
Gasoline prices below four dollars returned on November 10, when the national average price for regular gasoline fell to $3.9788 a gallon, according to AAA, down from $4.0093 a day earlier. It was the first time the average had been under $4 since July 19, ending a 113-day stretch during which regular gasoline averaged at least $4 nationally, the second-longest such period recorded by AAA. The national average had fallen about 17 cents during the preceding week and nearly 39 cents over the previous month, offering welcome relief to motorists after nearly four months of elevated fuel costs that placed extra pressure on household budgets and transport expenses. A motorist buying 15 gallons at the November 10 average would spend about $59.68, compared with $65.50 at the average price a month earlier.
The decline tracked easing crude oil prices, which had fallen into the high $80 to low $90 range, with West Texas Intermediate settling at $88.12 on November 4. AAA reported on November 5 that the national average was $4.1003, so the fall to $3.98 in five days was about 12 cents, or roughly 3 percent. The national average on November 9 was $4.00, down 16 cents from the previous Monday, and GasBuddy reported a 17.1 cent weekly drop to $4.12 on November 2. Prices fell in every state in the week to November 9, though local prices varied widely: California averaged $5.91 on November 2, while North Carolina averaged $3.38, the lowest.
Gasoline prices below four dollars but still high
The relief is real, but the comparison with last year remains stark. AAA reported a national average of $3.0707 a gallon a year earlier, about 91 cents below the November 10 price, and the November average was still the highest ever recorded for the month before 2026. Diesel remained far higher, at $6.1572 a gallon on November 10, compared with $3.7389 a year earlier. For a 2,000-mile trip at 28 miles a gallon, the fuel bill at $4.10 a gallon was about $293, against about $219 at the $3.06 average a year earlier. Analysts said the average could approach $3.90 to $3.95 if crude prices hold, but warned that pump prices move slowly and that a rebound in crude would quickly reverse the gains. For now, drivers heading into the holiday travel season can fill up for less than they could a month ago.
Source: Nationale
