HOUSTON – Texas is seeing its highest Yuletide retail gasoline prices ever, despite three straight weeks of declines, according to a weekly gasoline price survey.

The AAA Texas survey released Friday showed regular self-serve was averaging $2.85 per gallon, a penny less than last week but 64 cents higher than last year. The national average remained unchanged at $2.99 per gallon.

"Gasoline prices remain at unprecedented levels for this time of year with prices of $3 a gallon or more a common sight across much of the U.S.," said auto club spokeswoman Rose Rougeau. "Despite current gas prices, more than 86 percent of Texas travelers, or nearly 4.5 million, will drive to their holiday destination – an increase of one percent compared to 2006."

The cheapest gas prices in Texas was in Houston, where the average retail price of regular self-serve fell a penny to $2.81 per gallon. The most expensive was in the Austin-San Marcos area, where the average price fell about a penny to $2.91 per gallon.

–––

These are average per-gallon prices of regular, self-serve gasoline in Texas and nationally, as well as the change from last week, according to the AAA Texas Weekend Gas Watch released Friday:

Amarillo – $2.835, down 2.1 cents

Austin-San Marcos – $2.909, down 1.4 cents

Beaumont – $2.856, down .08 cent

Corpus Christi – $2.808, down 1.7 cents

Dallas – $2.822, down .02 cent

El Paso – $2.819, down 4.0 cents

Fort Worth – $2.810, down .02 cent

Galveston-Texas City – $2.823, down 1.1 cents

Houston – $2.807, down 1.0 cent

San Antonio – $2.876, down 1.6 cents

Texarkana (Texas only) – $2.904, unchanged

State – $2.847, down 1.0 cent

Nationally – $2.985, unchanged