AAA Idaho is predicting that 200,000 Idahoans will travel 50 miles or more over the upcoming Memorial Day long holiday weekend, with 176,000 of going by car.  “Idahoans will pay the lowest Memorial Day gas prices going back to 2009,” said AAA Idaho spokesman Dave Carlson. “Those lower prices will also spur the near two-percent increase in holiday travel that AAA expects this year.”

Gas prices actually have been rising – they’re up by about 25 cents in the past month – but Idahoans still can expect to pay about 40 cents a gallon less this Memorial Day compared to a year ago, Carlson said. Based on AAA’s Daily Fuel Gauge Report, Idaho’s average price today is $2.45, compared to a national average of $2.31. As recently as 2014, Idaho drivers were regularly paying more than $3.50 a gallon for gas.