Northeast Ohio is joining the nationwide trend of lower fuel prices, according to Monday’s AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

Prices are 28 cents lower in Northeast Ohio this week at $3.933 per gallon. A week ago, prices were $4.218. Last year, regular fuel prices were $3.212. The record remains $5.036 per gallon, reported June 13, 2022.

On Monday, motorists traveling through Niles saw average prices of $3.656 per gallon and $3.853 in Youngstown, AAA reported.

Motorists traveling by the Salt Springs Road/Interstate 80 intersection in Girard saw prices range from $3.68 to $3.74 per gallon Monday, according to GasBuddy.com.

Fuel prices hovered around $3.68 to $3.69 by the U.S. Route 62 and Interstate 80 interchange in Hubbard. At the Ohio Turnpike access point in North Lima, fuel vendors offered prices of $3.64 to $3.65 per gallon Monday, GasBuddy reported.

For the first time since mid-March, the national average for a gallon of gasoline is down to $3.92. This marks nearly four straight weeks of declines. Crude oil prices continue to fall as the U.S. and Iran work on a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Sliding gas prices come as millions of Americans prepare to travel for Independence Day in record numbers starting next weekend. Today’s national average is 63 cents less than a month ago but 71 cents more than a year ago.

The nation’s top 10 most expensive gasoline markets are California ($5.58), Hawaii ($5.53), Washington ($5.35), Alaska ($4.99), Oregon ($4.84), Nevada ($4.77), Idaho ($4.24), New York ($4.23), District of Columbia ($4.20) and Arizona ($4.20).

The nation’s top 10 least expensive gasoline markets are Indiana ($3.33), Oklahoma ($3.41), Texas ($3.42), South Carolina ($3.50), Tennessee ($3.51), Louisiana ($3.52), Iowa ($3.53), Mississippi ($3.54), Alabama ($3.54) and North Carolina ($3.54).

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand increased last week from 8.73 million barrels per day to 9.21 million. Total domestic gasoline supply decreased from 215.1 million barrels to 214.2 million. Gasoline production increased last week, averaging 10.1 million barrels per day.

At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate rose 74 cents to settle at $76.79 a barrel. The EIA reports crude oil inventories decreased by 8.3 million barrels from the previous week. At 418.2 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are about 6% below the five-year average for this time of year.

The national average per kilowatt hour of electricity at a public EV charging station went down one cent this past week to 41 cents.

AAA East Central is a not-for-profit association with 69 local offices in Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia serving 2.7 million members.