Southern California Gas Prices Begin to Climb
LOS ANGELES--Mar. 13, 2001--Southern California average gas prices reversed a five-month downward trend and climbed nine cents since mid-February, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California's Fuel Gauge report.The Southern California average price for regular unleaded fuel is $1.69, a nine-cent increase from the $1.60 average price on Feb. 13. The lowest average price is in La Habra, at $1.52 a gallon, and the highest Southern California price is in Bishop, with an average of $1.90 a gallon.
Northern California's prices, as usual, are higher still. The average is $1.90 in San Francisco with the Bay Area average sitting at $1.80. Eureka has the dubious honor of the highest average price in the state at $1.98.
Nationally, the average for regular unleaded is $1.43, down 4.2 cents from Feb. 13.
The diverging price pattern appears to be caused by the switch from winter grade to summer grade fuels that occurs earlier in California than in the rest of the nation. As other regions of the country draw down their supplies of winter-grade gasoline, fuel prices should remain moderate.
Also on the fuel price horizon this week is Friday's OPEC meeting in Vienna. Oil ministers are said to be contemplating a production cut of 1 million barrels per day in an effort to keep the price of crude between $25 and $28 per barrel.
In Southern California, the averages for regular and premium grades of gasoline are listed below:
County Unl Pre Imperial County EL CENTRO 1.874 1.969 Inyo County BISHOP 1.902 1.999 Kern County BAKERSFIELD 1.759 1.945 RIDGECREST 1.812 1.987 Los Angeles County ALHAMBRA 1.574 1.742 ARCADIA 1.625 1.799 BURBANK 1.613 1.758 CULVER CITY 1.666 1.741 GLENDALE 1.606 1.766 GLENDORA 1.596 1.789 INGLEWOOD 1.628 1.807 LANCASTER 1.672 1.899 LONG BEACH 1.607 1.808 LOS ANGELES 1.644 1.809 MANHATTAN BEACH 1.636 1.769 MONTEBELLO 1.634 1.809 SANTA CLARITA 1.642 1.749 SANTA MONICA 1.660 1.839 VAN NUYS 1.587 1.750 WHITTIER 1.611 1.799 WOODLAND HILLS 1.628 1.819 Orange County ANAHEIM 1.605 1.766 FULLERTON 1.581 1.773 HUNTINGTON BEACH 1.589 1.751 LA HABRA 1.515 1.764 LAGUNA BEACH 1.727 1.947 NEWPORT BEACH 1.719 1.918 SAN CLEMENTE 1.784 1.929 TUSTIN 1.659 1.859 Riverside County BLYTHE 1.863 2.029 HEMET 1.666 1.817 PALM SPRINGS 1.733 1.889 RIVERSIDE 1.639 1.741 San Bernardino County REDLANDS 1.701 1.836 SAN BERNARDINO 1.665 1.859 VICTORVILLE 1.655 1.772 San Diego County CHULA VISTA 1.789 1.947 DEL MAR 1.801 1.979 ESCONDIDO 1.781 1.936 OCEANSIDE 1.787 1.992 SAN DIEGO 1.797 1.959 San Luis Obispo County SAN LUIS OBISPO 1.703 1.914 Santa Barbara County LOMPOC 1.762 1.963 SANTA BARBARA 1.866 2.001 SANTA MARIA 1.727 1.939 Tulare County PORTERVILLE 1.788 1.997 VISALIA 1.678 1.885 Ventura County VENTURA 1.734 1.888 So. Calif. Avg. 1.693 1.862
The Auto Club's Fuel Gauge Report is based on data gathered from monitoring fuel transactions at 2,800 Southern California gas stations. Oil Price Information Service -- the nation's most comprehensive source of petroleum pricing information, provides the data.
The Automobile Club of Southern California, the largest affiliate of AAA, has been serving members since 1900. Today, Auto Club members benefit by the organization's roadside assistance, financial products, travel agency and trip planning services, highway and transportation safety programs, insurance products and services, automotive pricing, buying and financing programs and legislative advocacy.
Information about these products and services is available on the Auto Club's Web site at www.aaa-calif.com.