Drivers could finally see some real relief at the pump in 2026. GasBuddy is forecasting the national average price of gasoline will drop below three dollars a gallon for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. The fuel-tracking company says the average price next year is expected to be about 2 dollars and 97 cents per gallon, down 13 cents from this year and the lowest yearly average since 2020.

GasBuddy says while prices are trending lower overall, drivers should still expect some ups and downs throughout the year due to seasonal demand, refinery maintenance, hurricane season, and ongoing global tensions. Prices could briefly spike into the low three-dollar-and-twenty-cent range in the spring, but are expected to fall in the second half of the year, with December prices projected to average around 2 dollars and 83 cents a gallon.

Diesel prices are also expected to ease slightly, averaging about 3 dollars and 55 cents per gallon in 2026. GasBuddy analysts say fuel prices have been steadily improving since 2022 as the global economy recovers from the pandemic and energy markets stabilize following the shock of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. They say tighter economic policies and new refining capacity have helped push prices down year after year, and that trend is expected to continue into 2026. While it’s not a return to ultra-cheap gas, analysts say conditions are improving enough that averages below three dollars a gallon could become more common if there are no major disruptions.

Overall, U.S. drivers are expected to spend about 11 billion dollars less on gasoline next year compared to this year, with the average household spending just over 2,000 dollars on fuel.