Circle K gas is 40 cents off per gallon on Sept. 1 ahead of Labor Day travel

FILE - Drivers refuel at a Circle K gas station on May 12, 2021, in Fayetteville, North Carolina. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

Circle K is offering drivers 40 cents off per gallon of gas on Thursday nationwide ahead of the busy holiday travel weekend.

The deal is happening at more than 3,600 Circle K fuel locations across the United States, the company said. Drivers can receive the discount between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. local time, and any customer waiting in line for gas before 7 p.m. will get the discount.

"It’s been a challenging summer for travel, so we want to thank our customers for their loyalty by offering them additional savings ahead of the busy holiday weekend, ending the summer on a high note," Nathan Woodland, a Circle K North America executive, said in a statement.

The fuel sale is only available at participating locations that sell "Circle K-branded fuel," the company said. The price on the pump will reflect the discounted price at that time, it added.

Find your nearest participating location here: www.circlek.com/fuel-day.

Despite ongoing disruptions to flights and higher costs due to inflation, the number of people expected to travel over the U.S. Labor Day holiday weekend is expected to climb to pre-pandemic levels, according to travel experts. 

"People are not deciding to stay home, they are still going, they are still finding a way to travel," Paula Twidale, AAA senior vice president of travel, told Reuters. 

Current average price of gas in US

Meanwhile, drivers have also begun to see some relief when it comes to fuel costs, as compared to the peak in mid-June.

The current national average for a gallon of regular-grade fuel is about $3.83, according to AAA. That’s down about $1.19 cents from the highest recorded average on June 14, and a decline of about 38 cents from a month ago.

But compared to a year ago, the national average is still 65 cents higher compared to this time last year. 

The most expensive gas on average is in states like California, Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah, Illinois, and New York, AAA data shows. 

The cheapest U.S. gas is currently being recorded in the South, found in states like Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Missouri.

This story was reported from Cincinnati.