If you’re taking a road trip this holiday season, you might notice a little extra cheer at your gas station fill-up.

GasBuddy just reported that the national average price for regular gasoline on Christmas Day is expected to land around $2.79 per gallon.

That puts it below last Christmas, when drivers paid about $3.00, and marks the lowest holiday price since 2020.

Across the Christmas travel week, that difference adds up fast. GasBuddy estimated total savings of roughly $521 million compared with the same period last year.

The reasons are more mechanical than magical

Refinery maintenance that typically tightens supply in the fall has wrapped up. Gasoline inventories are rising.

At the same time, OPEC has steadily increased oil production through much of 2025, pushing crude oil prices to multi-year lows just as holiday travel ramps up.

Winter demand also works in drivers’ favor. Americans simply burn less fuel in December than they do in July, even when millions are on the move.

Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, explained that Christmas often lines up with the lowest prices of the year and that 2025 is following the same script. He reported that unless refineries have surprise outages or global tensions flare up, prices should come in a bit cheaper than last year.

He also noted that early indicators point toward relatively stable fuel prices heading into 2026.

That lines up with broader gas data

The U.S. Energy Information Administration recently showed nationwide gasoline stocks sitting comfortably above five year seasonal averages.

AAA, which tracks fuel costs daily, also shows most states well under $3.00 heading into late December, with wide gaps between low tax and high tax states.

Those state gaps still matter. De Haan reported that price swings of 20 to 80 cents per gallon across state lines are common, especially during holidays. Gas apps and station loyalty programs help, but timing and geography still do most of the work.