AAA Washington: Area by Area Comparison of Self-Serve Regular Unleaded Fuel Prices

18 December 1997

    BELLEVUE, Wash., Dec. 18 -- With prices dropping at the gas
pumps, travel this holiday season is expected to rise by 5 percent nationally.
Locally, Washingtonians are expected to take to the highways and skyways in
record numbers as well.
   Gas prices in central and western Washington are down an average of 5 cents
per gallon since Thanksgiving. The average cost for a gallon of regular
unleaded self-serve fuel this holiday season is $1.26 compared to the average
Thanksgiving price of $1.31. This time last year, the average fuel price for
unleaded, self-serve was $1.25.
    Nationally, the price for regular unleaded, self-serve fuel averages
$1.21 per gallon, down 1.8 cents since mid-November. Reasons cited for the
drop across the country are a seasonal drop in demand and the drop of crude
oil prices since Iraq's concessions to the United Nations. The Energy
Information Administration, supported by AAA's figures, also reports that the
price drop since the end of August is the largest seasonal decrease since
price tracking began in 1990.
    The travel industry reports that the greatest number of auto travelers
will originate in the West with 9.1 million people driving a distance of
100 miles or more. Destinations Washingtonians are heading to -- both by car
and by air -- are visits to family and friends; skiing here in the state, in
British Columbia, or in Colorado; Disneyland in California; and Hawaii for
extended vacations.
    AAA Washington is a not-for-profit travel services organization with
13 offices in central and western Washington. The club provides more than
570,000 members with travel, insurance, financial and auto-related services.

                         Christmas 97      Thanks/ 1997         Christmas 96

    Bellevue/Eastside      1.289               1.349                 1.301
    Bellingham             1.280               1.333                 1.223
    Bremerton              1.250               1.284                 1.284
    Everett                1.272               1.347                 1.281
    Lynnwood               1.270               1.339                 1.264
    Olympia                1.269               1.307                 1.283
    Renton                 1.299               1.331                 1.265
    Seattle                1.320               1.350                 1.331
    Tacoma                 1.289               1.329                 1.289
    Tri-Cities             1.094               1.111                 1.121
    Vancouver              1.275               1.354                 1.211
    Wenatchee              1.319               1.390                 1.208
    Yakima                 1.253               1.321                 1.236

    AVERAGE                1.267               1.318                 1.253

SOURCE  AAA Washington