As an estimated 2.1 million travelers in the Mountain Region, including New Mexico, plan to take to the road for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, and motorists will find, like last week, gas prices are 3 cents more than the national average, according to AAA New Mexico Weekend Gas Watch. 

Greeting this week’s Thanksgiving travelers are relatively stable gasoline prices.  The average price of regular unleaded gasoline increased one cent statewide compared to last week, from $2.66 to $2.67 a gallon.  The national average price for a gallon of self serve regular is $2.64.  This price is about a penny and half cheaper than the average price one month ago.

In Albuquerque travelers are paying an average of $2.60.  This is the least expensive average price compared to other metropolitan areas in New Mexico.  The state’s highest price is in Santa Fe at $2.65.  Gas prices in Las Cruces area are averaging $2.62.  Motorists traveling to neighboring states for the holiday will find gas averaging $2.50 in Texas, $2.54 in Colorado, $2.73 in Nevada, and $2.61 in Arizona.

Thanksgiving travel this week provides a unique opportunity to gauge the mood of U.S. motorists.  Travel in the Mountain region this Thanksgiving holiday, which includes: New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming, will increase less than one percent.  Most Mountain region travelers are expected to drive an average of 661 miles this holiday.  Based on AAA projections, the total number of nationwide travelers by automobile this year is expected to be 33.2 million, an increase of 2.1 percent compared to last year. 

According to AAA National, the increase in automobile travel shows some consumers are starting to return to their travel habits and that consumer confidence is starting to return in some measure.