How do gas prices compare to Thanksgiving last year?
By Easton Martin | November 26, 2025
As millions of Americans prepare for Thanksgiving road trips, nominal pump prices this year look only slightly above last year’s. The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline now sits around 3.06 dollars. But once you adjust for inflation, the story changes: 2025’s Thanksgiving-week gasoline price is actually less costly in real dollars than it was in 2024.
That inflation-adjusted drop reflects broader trends. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) offers inflation-adjusted price series to account for changes in the value of the dollar over time. That adjustment helps compare true purchasing power across years.
For many travelers, that means the money they hand over at the pump buys more than it did a year ago, effectively offering a holiday-season discount compared with 2024. The result is that even with a slight nominal bump, the real cost of driving this Thanksgiving is lower than last year’s.
Regional differences remain of course. Areas with strong refining capabilities, such as the Gulf Coast, often pay less per gallon than regions burdened by high transportation or regulatory costs. Still, on average, the modest nominal price plus favorable inflation effects make 2025 a relatively cheap Thanksgiving for drivers.
