In 1965, the average price of a gallon of regular gasoline was 31 cents. For less than two dollars, a family of four could fill the tank of a Chevrolet Impala or Ford Fairlane and spend the entire afternoon exploring back roads without a particular destination in mind.
Those Sunday drives were a weekly ritual for millions of Americans, complete with picnic baskets, paper maps from gas stations, and the simple joy of seeing what lay around the next bend. Today, with gas prices often exceeding four dollars a gallon and our lives scheduled down to the minute, it is worth remembering what those unhurried miles gave us.
The Golden Age of the Sunday Drive
From the late 1940s through the 1970s, Sunday drives were part of American life. The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 began building the interstate system, but most families still preferred the older two-lane routes like U.S. Route 66 or state highways.
A 1960 survey by the Automobile Manufacturers Association found that 68 percent of households took at least one pleasure drive each month. Station wagons were the vehicle of choice.
Ford sold over 200,000 Country Squire models in 1965 alone. Drivers rarely exceeded 45 miles per hour on those roads. Children played license-plate bingo or counted cows while parents pointed out covered bridges, small-town courthouses, and roadside stands selling fresh peaches or corn.
What the Drives Actually Cost
In 1970, the average American household spent about $250 a year on gasoline for all purposes, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A typical 100-mile Sunday drive in a car getting 15 miles per gallon used less than seven gallons.
At 36 cents per gallon that year, the fuel cost was around $2.50. Toll roads were rare outside the Northeast. Many states still had free picnic areas every 30 miles along major routes.
A 1968 AAA report showed the average family spent $4.75 on an entire day out, including ice cream cones at 15 cents each and a tank of gas. Compare that to today when a similar trip might cost $35 in fuel alone.
The Maps and the Preparation
Before GPS, families relied on folded paper maps given free at Esso, Texaco, and Gulf stations. The Sinclair Oil Company printed more than 50 million road maps in 1959. Navigators marked routes with a yellow highlighter and noted points of interest from the AAA TourBook.
A typical glove compartment held a flashlight, a tire gauge, and a plastic first-aid kit. Cars had no cup holders, so thermoses of coffee and lemonade sat on the floor. Many families kept a blanket and a thermos in the trunk year-round.
The preparation itself became part of the ritual that built anticipation for the day.
Lessons Learned on the Road
Sunday drives taught patience. Flat tires, wrong turns, and sudden rain showers were common. A 1964 study by the Highway Research Board found that 22 percent of weekend drivers got temporarily lost at least once per trip.
These small adventures forced families to solve problems together. Children learned to read maps and observe their surroundings. Parents discovered that conversations flowed more easily without the distractions of television or telephones.
Many adults later said those drives shaped their sense of geography and curiosity about places beyond their hometown. The slow pace allowed time to notice details like a perfectly kept Victorian house or a field of sunflowers in bloom.
How the Tradition Faded
The 1973 oil embargo pushed gasoline prices from 39 cents to 55 cents a gallon almost overnight. Long lines at service stations made pleasure driving feel irresponsible. Interstate highways, completed at a rapid pace in the 1960s and 1970s, encouraged faster travel with fewer chances to stop and explore.
By 1980, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the average speed on weekend trips had risen to 62 miles per hour. Dual-income households had less free time.
Cable television and video games kept children indoors. The ritual of the Sunday drive quietly slipped away for most families by the mid-1980s.
Bringing Back the Spirit Today
You do not need a classic station wagon or 31-cent gas to recapture the feeling. Choose a secondary road instead of the interstate for your next errand. Pack a thermos and sandwiches.
Turn off the navigation app and use a paper map or just follow your nose. Many states still maintain scenic byways with pull-offs and historical markers. The National Scenic Byways Program, started in 1995, now includes over 1,000 roads totaling 38,000 miles.
A 2022 AAA survey found that 74 percent of adults over 50 said they would enjoy a drive with no destination if they had the time. The cost may be higher now, but the rewards of slowing down remain the same.
Sunday Drive Then and Now
| Category | 1965 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Gas for 100 miles | $2.10 | $28.00 |
| Time spent planning | 10 minutes | 45 minutes |
| Average speed | 42 mph | 68 mph |
| Distractions in car | Radio only | Multiple screens |
| Chance to get lost | 22% | Less than 2% |
| Memories created | High | Variable |
The Sunday drive was never about the destination. It was about the chance to be together without an agenda, to notice the world at a human pace, and to let conversation and curiosity lead the way.
While we cannot return gas prices to 31 cents, we can still choose to take the long way home sometimes. Turn off the podcasts, fold a map, and see what you discover. Your grandchildren may remember that ordinary afternoon longer than any expensive vacation.
The open road still waits, and the lessons it taught our generation are still worth passing along.
Sources
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, 'Gasoline Prices 1949-2023' (2024)
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, 'Consumer Expenditure Survey 1960-1970' (1972)
- Automobile Manufacturers Association, '1960 Automobile Facts and Figures' (1961)
- U.S. Department of Transportation, 'National Household Travel Survey' (1983)
- AAA, 'Scenic Byways Report' (2022)
- Highway Research Board, 'Weekend Driver Behavior Study' (1964)