• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / Human Interest / Holiday travel expected to be down

Holiday travel expected to be down

June 24, 2013 By Matt Kelley

Gasoline prices have dropped more than 40-cents a gallon in Iowa over the past month, but it’s not expected to translate to an uptick in travel over the upcoming July 4th holiday. Gail Weinholzer, at Triple-A-Iowa, says the national travel forecast predicts a drop of about one-percent from Independence Day last year.

“We attribute the drop primarily to the fact the holiday is on a Thursday this year instead of Wednesday,” Weinholzer says. “Last year, when it was on a Wednesday, people tended to take the whole week and when you take the whole week, you tend to travel farther or make bigger plans, but when it’s on a Thursday, people tend to just take Friday and make a long weekend of it.”

For the past few months, Iowa has seen gasoline prices well above the national average, as two oil refineries that supplied the Midwest region had to be shut down, temporarily, for repairs.

“Mercifully, most of those oil refineries that were causing prices to rise have come back online and as a result, supply has been reinvigorated at those refineries and prices have started to decline substantially,” Weinholzer says. “Most of our area is back right around the national average.” As for the summer vacation season, she’s predicting gas prices should stay generally where they are now, barring any disasters.

“The start of the summer season in the Midwest brings wonderful weather but on the Gulf Coast, it bring hurricanes,” Weinholzer says. “As a result, we’re expecting moderate prices for fuel with the caveat that there be no significant hurricane in the Gulf Coast region.”

The national average price for gas is $3.59 a gallon, while Iowa’s average is slightly higher at $3.61. A month ago, the statewide average was $4.02.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Human Interest, News Tagged With: Transportation

Featured Stories

Governor signs child care expansion into law

Iowa seniors have until July 1 to apply for new property tax break

Smoke from distant fires creates colorful sunrise in Iowa

DOT’s Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division to merge into State Patrol

Iowa’s governor approves liability limits for trucking industry

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

Iowa names Beth Goetz interim AD

Cyclone Trio Invited to USA Basketball U19 Training Camp

Cameron Young to compete at the John Deere Classic

Radio Iowa/Baseball Coaches Association High School Poll 5/29/23

Iowa AD Gary Barta announces retirement

More Sports

Archives

Copyright © 2023 ยท Learfield News & Ag, LLC