Iowa – The last holiday of the summer is upon us and tens of thousands of Iowans will take to the streets over Labor Day weekend.

Triple-A Iowa spokesman Brian Ortner says the record-breaking summer travel season is expected to end with another exceptionally busy holiday for short-term vacationers.

With most children in Iowa already back in school, regional road trips are the most popular option for families on Labor Day. Because of this, Ortner says, other vacationers see this as an opportunity to travel the world and expect fewer crowds in popular locations.

The majority of Labor Day vacationers will be traveling by car, and although electric vehicles are becoming more common, most cars, trucks and SUVs still run on gasoline. Ortner doesn’t expect any big jumps in Iowa’s gas prices before the weekend.

Gasoline prices in Iowa vary widely. The most expensive fuel is in Dubuque at $3.45 per gallon, while Sioux City has the cheapest at $2.98.

A look at gasbuddy.com shows that in the four northwesternmost counties of Iowa, gas is actually cheapest in Sheldon at $3.08. In Rock Rapids, Sibley, Sioux Center, Hull and Hawarden, it is only a penny more expensive at $3.09. In Paullina, Alton and Orange City, gas is $3.17 per gallon. The most expensive gas in the four-county region, according to GasBuddy, is in Sanborn and Primghar at $3.19.