CA Gas Prices Now Highest In Nation, AAA Says

WALNUT CREEK, CA— Drivers in the Golden State were continuing to pay more at the pump than any other U.S. state, according to a report from Walnut Creek-based AAA of Northern California.

The average price per gallon in California reached $4.84 Thursday—up 5 cents since last week and almost 40 cents since last month.

According to AAA, the state's spike in gas prices is caused by the production of summer blend gasoline as well as ongoing repairs and maintenance at many California refineries, with Bay Area refining capacity now at half of its 2019 levels. Gasoline production was down last week, averaging 9.2 million barrels per day, data from the Energy Information Administration showed.

Fuel Prices Around California

• Santa Rosa $5.19
• Napa $5.19
• San Rafael $5.16
• San Francisco: $5.15
• Santa Cruz-Watsonville $5.06
• Oakland $5.04
• San Jose $5
• Sacramento $5
• Vallejo-Fairfield $4.95
• Fresno $4.84
• Stockton $4.86
• San Diego $4.79
• Los Angeles-Long Beach $4.78
• Orange County $4.75
• San Bernardino $4.66
• Riverside $4.66

Across the country, most drivers saw few changes at the pump this past week, as the national average for a gallon of gas remained steady at $3.16, 4 cents higher than a month ago but 11 cents lower than a year ago. The national average per kilowatt hour of electricity at a public EV charging station remained at 34 cents, with California’s average at 35 cents.

Some quick gas and electric statistics from AAA are listed below.

10 Most Expensive U.S. Gasoline Markets

• California $4.84
• Hawaii $4.55
• Washington $4.14
• Nevada $3.87
• Oregon $3.77
• Alaska $3.45
• Arizona $3.41
• Pennsylvania $3.36
• Illinois $3.27
• Washington, DC $3.25

10 Least Expensive U.S. Gasoline Markets

• Mississippi $2.67
• Louisiana $2.75
• Tennessee $2.76
• Texas $2.76
• Oklahoma $2.78
• Kentucky $2.78
• Alabama $2.79
• Arkansas $2.82
• Kansas $2.83
• Missouri $2.84

10 Most Expensive U.S. States For Electric Charging

• Hawaii 55 cents
• West Virginia 47 cents
• Montana 44 cents
• Idaho 42 cents
• Tennessee 42 cents
• Arkansas 42 cents
• New Hampshire 42 cents
• Kentucky 41 cents
• Alaska 41 cents
• South Carolina 41 cents

10 Least Expensive U.S. States For Electric Charging

• Kansas 22 cents
• Nebraska 25 cents
• Maryland 25 cents
• Missouri 25 cents
• Iowa 28 cents
• Texas 29 cents
• Utah 29 cents
• Michigan 29 cents
• North Dakota 30 cents
• South Dakota 31 cents

Oil Market Dynamics

AAA referred to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) that showed gasoline demand decreased from 8.57 million b/d last week to 8.23. Total domestic gasoline supply dropped from 248.1 million barrels to 247.9.

At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, WTI increased 40 cents to settle at $72.25 a barrel. The EIA reports that crude oil inventories increased by 4.6 million barrels from the previous week. At 432.5 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are about 3 percent below the five-year average for this time of year.

Find Gas, EV Charging Prices Near You

Drivers can find current gas and electric charging prices along their route using the AAA Mobile App, available on Apple CarPlay.