Auto Club: Average Monthly Gas Price Hits Record High for Third Consecutive Month
LOS ANGELES--May 1, 20048, 2004--The average monthly price of regular gasoline in Southern California climbed another 13.6 cents from April to reach an all-time May high of $2.336 per gallon for regular self-serve unleaded gasoline, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California's monthly Fuel Gauge Report. Strong demand, combined with high oil prices and worries over tight summer gasoline supply have been pushing prices higher for four months."Wholesale prices have jumped up and down during the past month, so motorists have seen no relief at the pump," said Auto Club spokesperson Carol Thorp. "Continued unseasonably high demand has been a key reason, but the oil and gasoline futures market seems to be teeming with speculators taking advantage of anticipated tight summertime supplies."
The Southern California average price for regular self-serve unleaded gasoline is $2.336, up from $2.261 on April 13. The highest previous May Fuel Gauge Report price was in 2001 at $2.00.
The lowest average price in Southern California is La Habra, where drivers can pump regular self-serve unleaded gasoline for an average $2.235. The highest price in the state is in Palm Springs, where regular goes for an average $2.491. San Francisco Bay-area motorists now pay an average of $2.30, up from $2.20 in April. Nationally, prices continue to set new records and the Fuel Gauge Report indicates that the national average is $1.999.
In Southern California, the averages for regular and premium grades of gasoline are listed below:
County/City Unl Pre Unl. Pre.
Apr. 13 Apr. 13
Imperial County
El Centro 2.419 2.544 2.311 2.499
Inyo County
Bishop 2.379 2.504 2.309 2.499
Kern County
Bakersfield 2.306 2.489 2.194 2.289
Ridgecrest 2.301 2.484 2.263 2.325
Los Angeles County
Alhambra 2.262 2.467 2.175 2.299
Arcadia 2.294 2.499 2.228 2.499
Burbank 2.288 2.459 2.208 2.369
Culver City 2.336 2.541 2.317 2.659
Glendale 2.275 2.479 2.223 2.566
Glendora 2.315 2.529 2.188 2.382
Inglewood 2.309 2.494 2.219 2.439
Lancaster 2.313 2.518 2.214 2.557
Long Beach 2.290 2.480 2.214 2.382
Los Angeles 2.311 2.532 2.240 2.435
Manhattan Beach 2.407 2.639 2.320 2.519
Montebello 2.345 2.522 2.284 2.509
Santa Clarita 2.339 2.544 2.239 2.582
Santa Monica 2.377 2.559 2.324 2.667
Van Nuys 2.282 2.449 2.208 2.366
Whittier 2.296 2.592 2.214 2.412
Woodland Hills 2.325 2.496 2.262 2.422
Orange County
Anaheim 2.261 2.484 2.197 2.382
Fullerton 2.259 2.424 2.216 2.366
Huntington Beach 2.290 2.491 2.214 2.424
La Habra 2.235 2.440 2.162 2.373
Laguna Beach 2.379 2.584 2.339 2.549
Newport Beach 2.366 2.549 2.314 2.519
San Clemente 2.349 2.503 2.263 2.489
Tustin 2.298 2.514 2.265 2.489
Riverside County
Blythe 2.479 2.759 2.417 2.634
Hemet 2.293 2.494 2.231 2.434
Palm Springs 2.491 2.659 2.395 2.609
Riverside 2.306 2.450 2.222 2.389
San Bernardino County
Redlands 2.375 2.575 2.379 2.639
San Bernardino 2.367 2.567 2.319 2.579
Victorville 2.372 2.572 2.349 2.609
San Diego County
Chula Vista 2.353 2.613 2.274 2.493
Del Mar 2.402 2.662 2.292 2.359
Escondido 2.250 2.466 2.164 2.429
Oceanside 2.313 2.449 2.245 2.469
San Diego 2.340 2.541 2.262 2.451
San Luis Obispo County
San Luis Obispo 2.402 2.614 2.268 2.464
Santa Barbara County
Lompoc 2.433 2.586 2.334 2.484
Santa Barbara 2.436 2.589 2.318 2.484
Santa Maria 2.412 2.539 2.305 2.471
Tulare County
Porterville 2.269 2.528 2.159 2.325
Visalia 2.300 2.559 2.199 2.365
Ventura County
Ventura 2.328 2.545 2.253 2.442
So. Calif. Avg. 2.336 2.533 2.261 2.468
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.