Mid-Michigan drivers heading out for Labor Day weekend are facing some of the highest fuel prices ever recorded for the holiday.
The average price of gasoline in Michigan is about $4.11 per gallon, according to GasBuddy, while drivers in the Lansing area are paying roughly $4.12 per gallon. Nationally, prices are expected to top $4 per gallon over Labor Day for the first time on record.
Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said this year's holiday prices are on pace to set a new benchmark.
"The national average has never been above $4 a gallon on Labor Day," De Haan said.
The previous Labor Day record was set in 2012, when the national average reached $3.83 per gallon.
Michigan drivers are paying about 84 cents more per gallon than they were heading into Labor Day last year, although prices have fallen about 19 cents over the past week.
De Haan said oil prices recently jumped after renewed tensions involving the United States and Iran, contributing to ongoing volatility at the pump.
While fuel costs remain elevated, some travelers may find relief depending on where they fill up.
"Lansing's price at about 412 a gallon is about a penny a gallon higher than Michigan's average right now," De Haan said.
He noted that parts of western Michigan, including the Grand Rapids area, are currently seeing some of the state's lowest prices. Drivers traveling into Indiana may find even larger savings because the state's gasoline taxes remain suspended.
"You’re going to find gas prices that, in some instances, may be 60 to 80 cents a gallon lower in Indiana across the border," De Haan said.
Looking ahead, De Haan said there is little indication that prices will drop significantly in the near future.
"Not a whole lot of relief in sight, so long as the geopolitical tensions remain," he said.
In addition to tensions involving Iran, De Haan cited attacks on Russian oil refineries, developments involving Venezuela and uncertainty surrounding U.S.-Canada energy relations as factors affecting global fuel supplies and prices.
Michigan could be especially vulnerable to disruptions involving Canadian oil because of the state's reliance on energy imports from Canada.
Despite the higher costs, Americans continue to travel. De Haan said gasoline demand this summer is down only slightly from a year ago, suggesting most drivers are adjusting rather than canceling plans.
"Michiganders know that summer tends to be quite short, and high gas prices aren't really going to curtail many of those summer plans," he said.