Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - Average gas prices in Montana have increased in 25 out of 48 weeks, but have dropped in 9 out of the past 10 weeks. Patrick De Haan is the head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, and he provided the current numbers for this week.      

“Average gasoline prices in Montana have fallen 3.3 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $2.95 per gallon today,” De Haan said. “Prices in Montana are 4.3 cents per gallon lower than a month ago and stand 5.3 cents per gallon higher than a year ago.”            

As of Monday morning, most stations in Missoula had their prices set to $2.95 per gallon.      

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According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Montana was priced at $2.68 per gallon yesterday, while the most expensive was $3.34 per gallon.             

Montana is currently ranked 23rd in the U.S. when it comes to the average price of gas, which is two spots higher than last week.                   

"The national average price of gasoline has fallen 8.5 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $2.95 per gallon today, which is the lowest level since May 2021,” De Haan said. “The national average is down 6.9 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 5.4 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has decreased 5.5 cents compared to a week ago and stands at $3.72 per gallon.”             

READ MORE: What To Expect From Montana's Gas Prices Before Thanksgiving

Nearly every state saw average gas prices fall heading into Thanksgiving, with the national average dipping below $3 per gallon for several consecutive days. 

“With refinery maintenance largely complete and OPEC increasing oil production for December, oil prices have struggled,” De Haan said. “Combine those factors and you have a solid recipe for continued downward pressure on gas prices in the weeks ahead. A few dozen stations are already offering gas under $2 per gallon, and we could see that number grow as we move further into the holiday season. It couldn’t come at a better time for Americans—with relief arriving just as the holidays kick off.” 

LOOK: See how much gasoline cost the year you started driving

To find out more about how has the price of gas changed throughout the years, Stacker ran the numbers on the cost of a gallon of gasoline for each of the last 84 years. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (released in April 2020), we analyzed the average price for a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline from 1976 to 2020 along with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for unleaded regular gasoline from 1937 to 1976, including the absolute and inflation-adjusted prices for each year.

Read on to explore the cost of gas over time and rediscover just how much a gallon was when you first started driving.

Gallery Credit: Sophia Crisafulli

 

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