Holiday travel outlook: What to expect this week

It’s the heart of the holiday travel season, and chances are good that you are — or will be — among the 1.7 million Oregonians who journey 50 miles or more during the last two weeks of the year.

Membership club AAA projects another record-setting holiday for travel, with an estimated 122.4 million Americans on the road, in the skies, on the rails — or possibly on a cruise. Overall travel volume is up 2.2% over 2024, AAA said in a news release.

AAA defines the holiday travel season as beginning Saturday, Dec. 20, and running through Thursday, Jan. 1.

Most holiday travelers will drive to their destinations, with about 1.5 million Oregonians among the 109.5 million Americans on the road.

They’re getting a break at the pump, as gas prices in Oregon continue to fall. As of Monday, Dec. 22, the average price for a gallon of unleaded gasoline in Lane County was $3.30; the average price Monday across Oregon was $3.52, AAA said. That’s down about 9 cents from just a week ago — but is still about 8 cents a gallon more than a year ago.

That $3.30 price for gas in Lane County is above the national average of $2.86.

It’s not unusual for gas prices in Oregon and along the West Coast to be higher than the national average, since the region tends to have tighter supplies — using about as much gasoline as produced. In addition, the region is relatively isolated from areas that produce and refine gasoline, leading to higher transportation costs, AAA said.

Gas prices usually drop in the fall, driven by the switch from summer-blend to winter-blend fuel, which costs less to produce, AAA said.

Marie Dodds, public affairs director for AAA Oregon/Idaho, said other factors include crude-oil prices dropping below $60 a barrel and refineries producing “plentiful supplies.”

Drivers can expect continued rainy and breezy conditions around northwest Oregon through Friday, according to the National Weather Service, but the moisture should let up — at least for a day or two — by the weekend. Snow showers continue at higher elevations, with snow levels dropping to between 2,500 and 4,000 feet through Tuesday.

AAA offers these tips to help drivers prepare for sudden onsets of wintry weather:

• Prepare an emergency kit for your vehicle that has enough provisions and warm clothing in the event that you’re stranded for several hours or overnight. 
• Let family members and friends know your itinerary.
• Don’t blindly follow your GPS. If a road looks remote or not well-traveled or maintained, don’t proceed.
• Get enough sleep. AAA said that driving on four to five hours of sleep is as dangerous as driving when intoxicated, and the risk doubles with less than four hours. 

Some 163,000 Oregonians will travel by air during the holidays, joining 8.03 million Americans. The average price for a round-trip domestic flight is $890, AAA reported, up 7% over last year.

About 68,000 Oregonians — and 4.9 million Americans — will travel by other modes: trains, buses and cruise ships. That’s a 9% increase over last year, and has been driven by a surge of interest in cruises, AAA said.