The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Los Angeles County spiked 10.3 cents Saturday to $5.562, the highest amount since Oct. 23, 2023.
The average price at the pump has increased 23 of the past 24 days, rising 94.3 cents, including 5.2 cents Friday, according to the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. The average gas price is 39.7 cents more than one week ago, 95.5 cents more than a month ago and 89.9 cents higher than at the same time one year ago.
Saturday’s average is 93.2 cents less than the record $6.494 on Oct. 5, 2022.
Orange County’s average price spiked 10.8 cents to $5.53, the highest since Oct. 17, 2023. The average has increased 45 days in a row, rising $1.287 including 5.6 cents Friday. The OC average is 37.7 cents more than a week ago, $1.002 cents more than a month ago and 90.1 cents higher than one year ago.
The price is 92.9 cents less than the record $6.459 set Oct. 5, 2022.
Prices were increasing gradually in line with seasonal norms before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, sending global oil prices higher and drastically accelerating price spikes at gas stations.
“Oil prices spiked over $100 a barrel on Monday and continue to be volatile as this conflict continues,” Kandace Redd, the Automobile Club of Southern California’s senior public affairs specialist, said in a statement Thursday. “California has experienced much higher price increases than other states because the majority of the state’s gasoline is refined from foreign crude oil sources.”
Inland Empire
The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Riverside County shot up 9.5 cents Saturday to $5.449, its highest amount since Oct. 21, 2023.
The average price has risen 44 of the past 45 days, increasing $1.308, including 6.2 cents Friday, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service.
The average price is 38.6 cents more than one week ago, 99.2 cents more than one month ago and 96 cents more than one year ago.
Despite the recent increases, it is 92.4 cents less than the record $6.373 set on Oct. 5, 2022.
In San Bernardino County, the average per-gallon price for regular gas was $5.452 on Saturday, up from $5.358 on Friday. The average is 39 cents higher than a week ago, $1.01 higher than the same time a month ago and 95 cents higher than one year ago.
Saturday’s average price in San Bernardino County was 92 cents lower than the all-time high of $6.375 on Oct. 5, 2022.
The national average price increased 4.5 cents to $3.675, its highest since April 22, 2024. The national average has risen for 14 straight days, increasing 69.3 cents, including 3.2 cents Friday. The national average price is 26.2 cents higher than one week ago, 74.5 cents more than one month ago and 59.2 cents more than a year ago. It is $1.341 less than the record $5.016 set on June 14, 2022.
“Crude oil prices play a major role in what drivers pay at the pump, and prices have surpassed the $100/barrel mark multiple times in recent days,” according to the AAA on Thursday. “To help offset rising prices, the U.S. announced it will release 172 million barrels of oil from its strategic reserves over four months. The move is part of a broader effort by the International Energy Agency to release a total of 400 million barrels of oil, the largest emergency release in its history.”
