Chattanooga area gas prices continue month-long decline; Hixson stations offer cheapest gas in the state

Gasoline prices in Chattanooga continued to fall last week, dropping another 5.3 cents per gallon to an average of $2.14 per gallon, according to GasBuddy's daily survey of 170 local stations.

Since the start of the year, gas prices in Chattanooga have dropped by nearly 20 cents a gallon and are now 36 cents a gallon below the U.S. average of $2.50 a gallon, GasBuddy.com reported.

The cheapest gas available in the Chattanooga area today is in Hixson where the Mapco, Exxon and Walmart stations are all selling regular gas today at $2.02 per gallon.

While prices in the region are lowest in Hixson, the average price of gas was still lower in Bradley County where regular gas was selling, on average, at just below $2.09 per gallon for regular, according to GasBuddy.com. A separate survey by AAA also showed Bradley County had the cheapest average gas price in Tennessee, although the AAA figures for Bradley County was slightly higher than the GasBuddy.com surveys and averaged $2.10.6 per gallon - 18 cents per gallon below the statewide average in Tennessee and 41 cents per gallon below the U.S. average.

Across the country, GasBuddy.com analysts said gasoline prices have declined n the past few weeks along with a drop in oil prices.

"Worry has gripped oil markets, sending the commodity plunging in value in recent weeks with downdrafts in gas prices starting to accelerate with motorists continuing to be the beneficiaries," said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy. "With oil prices now nearly $6 per barrel lower than a week ago and nearing their lowest level since October, there's plenty more room for the decline in gas prices to be extended again."

Oil prices dropped about 2% in trading Monday morning as the stock market dropped in response to concerns about the growing Coronvirus in China.

Despite the drop in fuel prices so far in 2020, however, the average price of regular gas in Chattanooga is still 15.2 cents per gallon higher than a year ago.