Holiday travel is kicking into high gear on Wednesday, and as Illinois residents hit the road or head to the airport, mild temperatures could make for a smoother experience.
According to the National Weather Service, high temperatures are expected to be above normal for the most part this week, including on Christmas itself, but experts are still warning residents to be careful.
“We do know that a lot of people do take travel and trips by car. I think one thing we’re asking people to do is be aware, and although we’re dealing with milder weather this holiday than last year with snowstorms across the country, for people to still be careful," said Omar Kaywan, travel expert and co-founder of Goose Insurance. "And Chicago being a main travel hub, we know a lot of airports, particularly O’Hare is going to be busy."
Illinois Tollway says the heaviest holiday road travel will begin Wednesday through Friday, with 1.7 million drivers expected to hit the road each of those days.
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Drivers could experience milder gas prices too, depending on where they stop.
“I was driving by and saw regular $2.99! I said 'oh man I’m going to fill up my car,'" said driver Idris Alabidun, who filled up his tank in Lincolnwood. “It’s been crazy for quite some time.”
Regular gas cost $2.99 per gallon at that location, while other stations in Lake County dropped to $2.94.
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The average cost of a gallon of gas in Illinois is at $3.14, according to AAA.
“I mean it’s still pretty high to me," said driver Max Rice. “It is what it is, but you just have to shuffle expenses around... I hope it will drop.”
Stations in Chicago and other parts of Cook County are driving up the average. Some are charging closer to $4.00 per gallon.
According to GasBuddy Analyst Patrick De Haan, the last time gas prices were this low during Christmas was in 2020. The lowest average was in 2008 when prices hit $1.70 per gallon.
