Tennessee
Traveling for spring break? Avoid high gas prices in these Tennessee cities, counties
Drivers feel the strain as gas prices surge
Drivers across the country react to rising gas prices as costs climb and frustration grows in cities like Los Angeles.
Tennessee school districts are out for spring break, meaning families are shuttling kids to camp, booking it to that beloved vacation spot or maybe the kids are providing an extra set of hands around the office.
Whatever spring break looks like for your family, it likely involves a car — and filling it up at the gas pump.
However, gas prices are still on the rise across the U.S. and in Tennessee.
Back on March 5, The Tennessean reported that the state’s average fuel price was $2.84, according to the American Automobile Association.
Ten days later, the average now sits at $3.33 per gallon.
Here’s how much fuel costs have risen statewide amid spring break travel.
More: How much have Tennessee gas prices risen amid war in Iran?
National average continues to climb
On March 12, AAA reported the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline jumped nearly 35 cents since the week prior.
Today, consumers are paying $3.70 per gallon, the national average as of March 15, according to AAA Fuel Prices.
Though springtime price hikes for fuel are common, AAA says this jump is bigger than normal.
Gasoline demand typically increases this time of year as warmer weather brings more drivers out on the road, but crude oil prices play a major role in what drivers pay at the pump, according to an AAA release.
While prices have exceeded $100 per barrel in recent days, the U.S. has announced it will release 172 million barrels of oil from its strategic reserves over a four-month period to help offset the rising costs, the release said.
“The move is part of a broader effort by the International Energy Agency to release a total of 400 million barrels of oil, the largest emergency release in its history,” AAA officials said in the release.
Tennessee gas prices creep toward national average
As of March 15, the average fuel price in Tennessee for a regular gallon of gas is $3.33, according to AAA.
That’s nearly $1 more than it was a month ago, when the state average fuel price was $2.52.
Clay County tops the leader board with the most expensive gas at $3.54 per gallon, narrowly beating out the price for a gallon of regular gas in Williamson County at $3.52.
The cheapest gas comes from Perry County pumps at $3.16 per gallon.
10 Middle Tennessee counties vary in fuel costs, ranging between $3.24 and $3.52 per gallon:
- Cheatham County: $3.33
- Davidson County: $3.31
- Dickson County: $3.32
- Maury County: $3.28
- Montgomery County: $3.24
- Robertson County: $3.36
- Rutherford County: $3.32
- Sumner County: $3.31
- Williamson County: $3.52
- Wilson County: $3.30
Ten cities recorded average fuel costs ranging between less than 20 cents across the state:
- Chattanooga: $3.29
- Clarksville-Hopkinsville: $3.24
- Cleveland: $3.30
- Jackson: $3.38
- Johnson City: $3.30
- Kingsport-Bristol: $3.27
- Knoxville: $3.28
- Memphis: $3.40
- Morristown: $3.28
- Nashville: $3.33
Katie Nixon can be reached at knixon@gannett.com.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — On the fourth anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Tennessee Republicans unveiled a new monument at the State Capitol honoring unborn children.
The Roe v. Wade decision allowed states to set their own abortion laws and triggered Tennessee’s Human Life Protection Act, which bans nearly all elective abortions in the state. The law has saved about 10,000 lives each year since taking effect, according to Tennessee Right to Life.
The Tennessee Monument to Unborn Children is located on the southeast side of the Capitol grounds. Lawmakers say it recognizes unborn children whose lives ended through abortion and serves as a place for reflection and remembrance.
The monument was approved by the General Assembly in 2018 and was paid for entirely through private donations.
Republican leaders said the monument reflects Tennessee’s commitment to protecting unborn children and honoring the value of human life.
See Dolly Parton celebrate Tennessean Travel Stop grand opening
The country music legend opened the first location of her Tennessean Travel Stop in Cornersville, Tennessee.
CORNERSVILLE, Tenn. — Out on the street, the traffic started jumpin’ as travelers made their way to Dolly Parton’s Tennessean Travel Stop on opening day.
“Dolly is on her way,” Tennessean Travel Stop owner Gregory Sachs told the media gathered at the new truck destination in Cornersville, saying Parton would cut the ribbon at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, June 24.
The anticipation had been building all morning at the new roadside destination along Interstate 65. The 80-year-old country legend arrived wearing a blue-and-pink fringe ensemble, complete with her signature stiletto heels.
The “9 to 5” singer used the moment to make a playful quip about travel stop competitor Buc-ee’s.
“I’m sure some of you want to know why I wanted a truck stop,” Parton said. “Well, I couldn’t leave it to beavers.”
Parton ended the brief ceremony with a ribbon cutting, marked by an explosion of multicolored confetti featuring her signature butterfly.
The message drew cheers from guests who had spent the afternoon exploring the property, sampling food from DLY BBQ and trying a “Cup of Ambition” coffee, waiting to see whether Parton would make an appearance. Earlier promotional materials for the grand opening had stated that the country music icon would not attend the public festivities.
The appearance marks one of only a handful of public events for Parton in 2026.
In March, the East Tennessee star returned to Dollywood to launch the theme park’s 41st season after stepping back from several appearances while recovering from health issues and grieving the death of her husband, Carl Dean. During that appearance, Parton told fans she had been rebuilding herself “spiritually, emotionally and physically.”
Parton, who has been open about dealing with kidney stones, said in May that she is working with doctors after “my immune system and my digestive system got all out of whack over the past three years.”
What is Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop?
Located at Exit 22 off Interstate 65 in Cornersville, Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop officially opened to the public on June 24. The flagship location is a partnership between Parton, her longtime manager Danny Nozell and Gregory H. Sachs, owner of the Tennessean Travel Stop brand.
Inspired by Parton’s decades spent traveling the country by tour bus and her East Tennessee roots, the destination combines fuel services, food, shopping, live music and Tennessee-themed hospitality.
Bryan West is a music reporter at The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Instagram, TikTok and X as @BryanWestTV.
ESPN projects Tennessee basketball’s Felix Okpara and Ja’Kobi Gillespie to be picked back to back in the second round of the NBA Draft on Wednesday night. ESPN’s updated mock draft has Okpara at No. 41 overall to the Miami Heat and Gillespie at No. 42 to the San Antonio Spurs.
Nate Ament was the No. 13 overall pick in the first round to the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday. Tennessee, which has now had players picked in six straight NBA Drafts, could have three players drafted for just the second time in the modern era of the draft, since it went to two rounds in 1989.
Grant Williams was a first-round pick in 2019, ahead of Admiral Schofield and Jordan Bone being picked in the second round.
Where ESPN ranks Felix Okpara, Ja’Kobi Gillespie in NBA Draft
Entering the second round, ESPN has Okpara ranked as the 12th-best player available in the draft. Gillespie is ranked No. 14.
Duke guard Isaiah Evans is ESPN’s No. 1 prospect to start the second round, ahead of North Carolina center Henri Veesaar, Arkansas guard Meleek Thomas, Cincinnati forward Baba Miller, Louisville guard Ryan Conwell and German guard Jack Kayil.
Also ranked ahead of Okpara is BYU guard Richie Saunders, Houston guard Emanuel Sharp, Purdue guard Braden Smith, St. John’s forward Dillon Mitchell and Arkansas forward Trevon Brazile. Ranked between Okpara and Gillespie is Arizona guard Jaden Bradley.
Felix Okpara ‘played his way into the two-way contract mix’
Okpara averaged 8.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 26.9 minutes per game this season, starting 34 of 35 games. He shot 59.7% from the field, 61.1% on 2-point shots and 63.5% at the foul line.
He played two seasons at Ohio State before transferring to Tennessee and anchoring the Vols on defense, serving as the rim protector defensively and a rim runner on offense.
Okpara had the fourth-highest standing reach at the NBA Draft Combine in May at 9-foot-4. He was measured at 6-foot-10 without shoes, weighed 237.4 pounds and had a 7-2 wingspan.
“Okpara had a good predraft process,” ESPN wrote, “and played his way into the two-way contract mix as a dependable big man who chips in a little bit of value on both ends.”
Ja’Kobi Gillespie ‘profiles as a potential bench option’ in NBA
Gillespie averaged 18.4 points, 5.4 assists and 2.8 rebounds in 34.8 minutes per game while starting all 37 games in his one and only season at Tennessee.
The Greeneville, Tenn., native started his career with two seasons at Belmont, then transferred to Maryland before his homecoming with the Vols as a senior last season.
“After starting his college career at Belmont,” ESPN wrote on Wednesday, “Gillespie had good years at Maryland and Tennessee while playing his way into the NBA picture. He profiles as a potential bench option if his scoring ability can outweigh his size concerns.”
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