Maybe it’s a Christmas miracle.

At the very least, it’s an extra Christmas gift for folks’ pockets.

“I certainly never thought I would pay under $2 a gallon again,” said Gates County, N.C., resident Henderson Eure, shaking his head as he filled up his Ford Tempo at Murphy USA for $1.64 a gallon. “It’s the first time in five years I’ve see prices this low. It’s a big relief for everybody.”

Gas prices dropped to an average of $2 per gallon nationwide on Monday, the lowest it’s been since March 2009, according to AAA. Today’s national average price of gas is $1.99 per gallon.

In Virginia, the current average price for regular gas is $1.84, which is 9 cents cheaper than last month and 46 cents less than last year, according to AAA Tidewater.

The average price in Hampton Roads is lower, at $1.80 per gallon. That is 8 cents less than last month and 53 cents less than last year, according to AAA Tidewater.

Gas prices at most Suffolk stations hovered between $1.64 and $1.75 per gallon for regular fuel on Wednesday, according to Gasbuddy.com.

Shirley Horn, of Edenton, N.C., always comes to Virginia to purchase fuel because it costs less. As she gassed up on Friday before visiting her sister in Ivor, Horn said she hopes it lasts.

Experts are projecting that it will likely get even better in the immediate future.

“The best news of all is that there is room for prices to drop even more in the coming weeks,” AAA Tidewater spokeswoman Georjeane Blumling said.

Gas prices have dropped because there are more than enough oil and gasoline supplies around the world to meet current demand, she said. In addition, gas prices generally fall through early winter because people drive less that time of year.

The drop in gas prices comes as good news for the more than 100 million people nationwide expected to hit the road for the holidays this year, Blumling said.

Based on normal seasonal trends, gas prices likely will rise in late winter and early spring as refineries conduct maintenance in advance of the busy summer driving season, according to a AAA Tidewater press release. Despite this expected price increase in early 2016, gasoline should remain relatively low due to abundant petroleum supplies.