Traveling for spring break? Avoid high gas prices in these Tennessee cities, counties

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.