Jeanna Duerscherl | The Roanoke Times

Jillian Tavares gets gas from a BP station in Salem. Tavares, who was driving from Alabama to Massachusetts, said this price — $4.09 —is the most she has paid for gas on her trip so far.

Gasoline costing $4 a gallon is here.

Tristessa Howard of Cookeville, Tenn., bought some of the pricey fuel Thursday, saying it was the first time she paid more than $4 a gallon.

She filled up with $4.09 a-gallon gas at a BP station in Salem, while en route with her husband, daughter and mom to see family in Pennsylvania.

"It makes me very sad," she said. "We need to do something about this. It's killing people."

Consumers who shopped around Thursday could find a slightly lower price -- but not by much.

Roanoke's average price for unleaded fuel was $3.95, a record and up a penny from Wednesday. Gasoline cost $3.88 a month ago and $2.76 a year ago, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic.

AAA Mid-Atlantic said record gasoline prices will contribute this weekend to a drop in motor-vehicle travel more than 50 miles from home by an estimated 2.5 percent.

Fourth of July travel is predicted to decline for the second year in a row, the agency said.

Oil markets had an active week. Prices surged Thursday to more than $145 a barrel for the first time because of a report of lower crude stockpiles in the United States, lingering concerns about conflict with Iran and comments by Saudi Arabia's oil minister suggesting his country would not boost production.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.