SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) -- Travelers planning Memorial Day weekend trips will pay significantly more at the pump this year, with gas prices up 30 percent to 50 percent compared to 2025.

Mark Schieldrop with AAA Northeast said prices have increased since the war with Iran. “It’s not fun paying this. We’ve seen prices really run up since the war with Iran,” he explained.

For a car that gets 24 miles per gallon, the national median fuel economy, drivers will pay more before reaching their destination compared to last year’s Memorial Day drive. Schieldrop added the increased fuel costs will affect vacation spending. “Every dollar that I spend on gas is less of a dollar that I can spend somewhere else so, you know, it has real ramifications,” he noted.

The price gap will grow as travelers make the return trip home. “That means less money that they’re going to spend at their destinations, so less souvenirs, cheaper dining, and cutting costs,” Schieldrop said.

Schieldrop recommended checking for the cheapest gas along your route before starting your trip.

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