Oregonians may be rethinking their spring break travel given the high cost of gas.
A man walks into a convenience store at a Chevron gas station with prices starting at $5.39 per gallon for regular grade unleaded gas in downtown Portland, Ore., on March 16, 2026.
Eli Imadali / OPB
Oregon has seen a more than 75 cent increase in gas prices since Feb. 28. On Thursday, the average price of a gallon of regular was $4.70, according to AAA. The National average was $3.88 a gallon.
Marie Dodds with AAA Oregon said Americans are paying the highest prices for gas since 2022.
“And that of course is because we’re seeing spiking crude oil prices as a result of the conflict in the Middle East,” she said. “And that’s translating into higher gas prices, higher airline tickets and that’s impacting across the board.”
Dodds said people who’ve already paid for their plane tickets are likely sticking with their plans.
People who’ve waited to make plans may decide to stay home.
“Or, probably more likely, ‘We’re still going to go somewhere for Spring Break but we might be going somewhere closer to home and really looking for ways we can economize because these high gas prices are packing a punch to the family budget,’” Dodds said.
Dodds said Oregon’s number one destination is Bend. Seattle, Boise, Portland and the Oregon coast are also popular regional places to visit during Spring Break.
For those traveling by air, Dodds recommends keeping yourself informed.
“Get everything you can on your phone,” she said. “The TSA has an app that lets you track wait-times at airports across the country. We also recommend that you check individual airport websites.”
Dodds said Portland International Airport hasn’t experienced a huge impact on wait times resulting from the current partial government shutdown. But she still recommends arriving early, at least two hours for domestic flights and three hours for international.
For those driving to their destination, Dodds said even though it’s March, be prepared for winter weather, especially if you’re heading over the mountains. Pack food, water, and emergency supplies.
Rachael McDonald is a reporter with KLCC. This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
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