Direct answer: With gas at $4.33 a gallon, a 500-mile Thanksgiving round trip costs about $80 in fuel for a car that gets 27 mpg, $108 at 20 mpg and $54 at 40 mpg. That is about $23 more than the same trip cost a year ago, when gas was near $3.06. Prices also differ by about $2.55 a gallon between California and North Carolina, so where you fill up matters.
How much will gas cost for a Thanksgiving road trip in 2026?
Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26, 2026, and the cost of getting there depends on three numbers: the distance, your car’s mpg and the price of gas. The first two are yours. The third is the highest in years.
AAA put the national average for regular at $4.327 a gallon on October 16, 2026. A week earlier it was $4.372 and a month earlier $4.367, so prices have been fairly steady in the low $4.30s, though they remain $1.27 above the $3.057 of a year ago. The record is $5.0165, set June 14, 2022. The Energy Information Administration reports $4.331 for the week of October 12, which matches.
The table below uses $4.33. It divides round-trip miles by mpg to get gallons, then multiplies by the price. Use your own mpg from the car’s window sticker or fueleconomy.gov, or the 27.2 mpg that the EPA’s Automotive Trends Report gives as the real-world average for new vehicles in model year 2024.
| Round-trip miles | 20 mpg (large SUV or truck) | 27.2 mpg (new-car average) | 40 mpg (efficient hybrid) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 250 | $54 | $40 | $27 |
| 500 | $108 | $80 | $54 |
| 1,000 | $217 | $159 | $108 |
| 1,500 | $325 | $239 | $162 |
All figures are our arithmetic and cover fuel only. A trip of 1,000 miles at 27.2 mpg uses about 37 gallons. Older cars often get less than the average, so check your own number.
How much more is that than last Thanksgiving?
AAA’s Thanksgiving forecast last year said gas prices were about the same as the year before, when the national average on Thanksgiving Day was $3.06. This October’s average is $4.33, which is $1.27 higher. On a 500-mile round trip that is:
| Your car | Fuel cost at $3.06 | Fuel cost at $4.33 | Extra this year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 mpg | $77 | $108 | $32 |
| 27.2 mpg | $56 | $80 | $23 |
| 40 mpg | $38 | $54 | $16 |
For a family driving 1,500 miles in a 27.2 mpg vehicle the increase is about $70 over last year (our arithmetic). It is not trivial, but it is smaller than most of the other travel costs. AAA’s forecast put the average domestic round-trip airfare at $700 last year, so for a group of four, driving is still far cheaper than flying in most cases.
Where is gas cheapest and most expensive for Thanksgiving?
State prices vary more than most people realize. On October 16, 2026, AAA listed these regular-gas averages:
| Highest | Price | Lowest | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $6.218 | North Carolina | $3.672 |
| Hawaii | $5.638 | Georgia | $3.761 |
| Nevada | $5.416 | Texas | $3.818 |
| Washington | $5.411 | Tennessee | $3.874 |
| Oregon | $4.966 | South Carolina | $3.885 |
The spread between California and North Carolina is $2.55 a gallon. On a 500-mile trip at 27.2 mpg, which uses about 18 gallons, filling up entirely at California’s average costs about $114 and at North Carolina’s about $68 (our arithmetic). Some other averages for popular Thanksgiving corridors are Florida at $4.19, New York at $4.43, Pennsylvania at $4.46, Illinois at $4.71, Michigan at $4.55 and Colorado at $4.35.
If your route crosses state lines, a simple habit saves money: fill up before you enter a high-priced state and top off in the cheaper one. State averages are only a guide, since prices near highways and airports can run well above the local norm.
What will gas cost on Thanksgiving Day?
Nobody knows yet, but the evidence is that it will not collapse in the next five weeks. The EIA’s October Short-Term Energy Outlook, released October 6, says September retail gasoline averaged $4.35 a gallon and forecasts a 2026 average of $3.91, up from its earlier $3.84, and $3.56 for 2027. It does not give a Thanksgiving week figure. The forecast shows prices easing over the longer run, not dropping overnight.
For planning, budget with a cushion. A fuel budget built on $4.50 gas rather than $4.33 costs only about $3 more on a 500-mile trip at 27.2 mpg, and it protects you if prices tick up. If prices fall, you come out ahead. AAA’s own Thanksgiving forecast for 2026, with the national travel numbers and its traffic forecast, normally comes out in mid-November. Last year’s was released on November 17. We will update this page when it arrives.
How many people drive for Thanksgiving, and when is traffic worst?
Last year’s AAA forecast projected a record 81.8 million people traveling at least 50 miles from home between Tuesday, November 25 and Monday, December 1, 1.6 million more than the year before. About 73 million of them were expected to go by car, nearly 90 percent of the total. Domestic flights were forecast at 6 million travelers.
The traffic data firm INRIX, working with AAA, said the worst times to drive last year were:
- Tuesday afternoon and evening, 12:00 to 9:00 PM
- Wednesday, 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM
- Friday, 1:00 to 7:00 PM
- Saturday, 1:00 to 8:00 PM
- Sunday, 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM
- Monday, 12:00 to 8:00 PM
The best times were mostly before 11:00 AM. The biggest projected delays were Washington, DC to Baltimore on Tuesday at 4:30 PM, at 166 percent longer than normal, and New York to the Hamptons, also at 4:30 PM, at 163 percent longer. These are last year’s numbers, and 2026 will follow a similar pattern.
Traffic affects your fuel bill, not just your patience. Fueleconomy.gov says aggressive driving in stop-and-go traffic can cut mileage by 10 to 40 percent, so a trip that is jammed tends to cost more than one that flows.
How can you cut the gas cost of the trip?
Small changes add up, and the Department of Energy’s fueleconomy.gov has the numbers, priced at $4.33 a gallon:
- Slow down. Each 5 mph over 50 mph costs roughly an extra $0.30 per gallon. Driving 5 to 10 mph slower improves fuel economy by 7 to 14 percent, which saves $0.30 to $0.61 per gallon.
- Drive smoothly. Speeding, hard acceleration and hard braking can cut highway mileage by 15 to 30 percent.
- Pack light. Each extra 100 pounds reduces mpg by about 1 percent.
- Skip the roof box if you can. A large roof cargo box can cut highway fuel economy by 6 to 17 percent, and by 10 to 25 percent at 65 to 75 mph. A rear-mounted carrier costs far less, 1 to 5 percent on the highway.
- Do not idle. Idling burns a quarter to a half gallon an hour. If you will wait more than a minute, turn the engine off.
Put the numbers together. On a 500-mile trip at 27.2 mpg, driving 10 mph slower, if it improved fuel economy by 14 percent, would save about $10 (our arithmetic). A roof box at the top of its range, 17 percent, would add about $16. Those are small amounts, which is why the bigger wins are filling up in cheaper states and avoiding the worst traffic hours.
Is driving still cheaper than flying or renting a car?
For most families it is. Take a 1,000-mile round trip in a 27.2 mpg car. Fuel is about $159 at $4.33 a gallon, and even adding 11 cents a mile for maintenance and tires, which is AAA’s figure for new cars, the extra cost is about $270 (our arithmetic). Divide that among four passengers and it is roughly $68 each. AAA reported that the average domestic round-trip flight cost about $700 last Thanksgiving, so four tickets would be about $2,800, before bags and airport transfers.
Driving does lose when you travel alone over a very long distance, because you carry all the cost and spend days on the road, or when your car is old and the trip might push a worn part past its limit. Renting a car is a middle path. AAA, citing Hertz data, said domestic car rentals were 15 percent cheaper last Thanksgiving than the year before, with Wednesday the busiest pick-up day, and Orlando, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Newark the top rental markets. A rental moves the wear and tear to someone else, but you still pay for the fuel, and rental prices this year will depend on demand, so check them early.
If you are driving a hybrid, the saving is larger. A 40 mpg hybrid uses 25 gallons on a 1,000-mile trip against 37 gallons for a 27.2 mpg car, which is about $51 less at $4.33. That alone does not justify buying one, but it shows how a more efficient car lowers every trip.
Should you check the car before a long trip?
A breakdown costs far more than the gas. Before a long drive, check your tire pressure and tread, since a warning light can signal a problem. Our guide to tpms sensor replacement cost explains what that dashboard light means, and check engine light flashing covers the one warning you should never drive through. If the battery is more than three or four years old, read how long does a car battery last and consider a test before you leave, because cold weather is hard on weak batteries. The car battery replacement cost guide shows what a replacement costs.
If you are heading to snow country, see when to put on winter tires.
How do you estimate your own trip?
Enter your round-trip miles, your car’s mpg and the price of gas, and our calculator does the rest.
Not sure of your mpg? Use the mpg to measure it from your last fill-up. For the full cost of running a car, including depreciation, insurance and maintenance, read cost per mile to drive a car. If you are thinking of switching to a hybrid because of gas prices, our hybrid vs gas break even guide shows how long it takes to pay back. More guides are in the more fuel cost guides hub.
FAQ
How much will gas cost for a Thanksgiving road trip in 2026?
At the October 16 national average of $4.33 a gallon, a 500-mile round trip costs about $80 in a 27.2 mpg car, $108 at 20 mpg and $54 at 40 mpg. That is about $16 to $32 more than a year ago, when gas was about $3.06.
What are gas prices expected to be at Thanksgiving 2026?
Forecasts do not give a Thanksgiving figure. The EIA’s October outlook shows a 2026 average of $3.91 a gallon and $3.56 for 2027, and AAA’s national average has held in the low $4.30s for a month. Budget with a small cushion, and check AAA’s gas price page the week before you go.
What is the cheapest state for gas right now?
On October 16, 2026, AAA listed North Carolina at $3.672 a gallon as the cheapest regular price, followed by Georgia at $3.761 and Texas at $3.818. California was the most expensive at $6.218, then Hawaii at $5.638.
How do I calculate the gas cost of a road trip?
Divide the round-trip miles by your car’s mpg to get gallons, then multiply by the price per gallon. For 600 miles at 25 mpg and $4.33, that is 24 gallons times $4.33, or about $104. Add a cushion if you expect heavy traffic or a full load.
When is the worst time to drive for Thanksgiving?
Last year AAA and INRIX said the worst times were Tuesday afternoon through evening and Wednesday midday to evening, plus Sunday and Monday afternoons for the return. The best times were mostly before 11:00 AM. The 2026 forecast should come out in mid-November.
Sources
- AAA, Gas Prices (national and state averages, October 16, 2026)
- AAA, “AAA Thanksgiving Travel Forecast 2025” (November 17, 2025; 81.8 million travelers, INRIX times, $3.06 Thanksgiving 2024 gas price, $700 average airfare)
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update (week of October 12, 2026)
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Short-Term Energy Outlook (October 6, 2026)
- U.S. EPA, Automotive Trends Report highlights (27.2 mpg, model year 2024)
- fueleconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA), driving habits and fuel savings
Gas prices change daily and AAA’s 2026 Thanksgiving forecast had not been released when this page was updated. Trip costs here cover fuel only and are our calculations from the sources above.
Updated October 2026. By Rasel Hakkani.
This article is general information, not financial or travel advice.
