Give thanks for cheaper gas prices, now at a seven-year low

The weather might not be the best this year for holiday drivers, but gasoline prices are — their lowest heading into the season since November 2008, the Energy Information Administration said Wednesday.

The national average for a gallon of regular is $2.09, the Energy Department’s statistical arm said, down 73 cents from a year ago. And prices in Kansas City and much of the Midwest, as usual, are lower.

For Kansas City, Mo., the current average of $1.77 is down 78 cents from a year ago. Kansas-side prices run a few cents higher because Kansas’ gasoline tax is higher.

Houston has the lowest average for a metro area, $1.83, and Los Angeles the highest, $2.79.

AAA estimates that nearly 42 million people in the U.S. will drive more than 50 miles from home for the Thanksgiving holiday this year. That’s a little farther than last year, and the estimated number of travelers is the most for Thanksgiving since 2007.

Lower crude oil prices are the main reason gasoline prices are down, the Energy Information Administration said. Its November 2015 outlook expects gasoline prices to keep dropping the rest of the year and average $2.06 nationally in December.

This story was originally published November 25, 2015 at 11:19 AM with the headline "Give thanks for cheaper gas prices, now at a seven-year low."