Auto Club: Average Gas Prices, Still above $3, Begin to Drop
LOS ANGELES--Sept. 13, 2005--Southern Californians may be seeing some relief at the pump as average gas prices throughout the area began to drop from record highs set last week, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California monthly Fuel Gauge Report.The Southern California September average price for regular self-serve gasoline, which in many areas peaked above $3.06 per gallon, is $3.031 -- a new monthly record. This compares to an Aug. 17, 2005 average of $2.774 -- a 25.7-cent difference. The new record also exceeds the September 2004 average by more than $1.088.
"Hurricane Katrina and oil refinery outages in Northern California both contributed to unprecedented increases in oil and gasoline prices throughout the nation because they impacted supply lines and production levels," said Auto Club spokeswoman Carol Thorp. "As more production facilities get repaired and as demand for gasoline declines during the fall, we should expect to see gas prices decline further."
Statewide, the average price for September is $3.029, up from $2.773 in August, but down from the record of $3.054 set on Sept. 9. The lowest average price in California is in La Habra, where regular is selling for $2.873. Yreka reported the state's highest average price at $3.300.
Nationally, the average price is $2.956, up from $2.564 in August. The least expensive gasoline in the country is found in Jackson, Miss., where the average gas price is $2.57. The highest average price for gas in the United States in Wailuku, Hawaii, where a gallon of regular unleaded sells for $3.52.
In Southern California, the averages for regular and premium grades of gasoline are listed below:
County/City Reg 9-13 Reg 8-17 Pre 9-13 Pre 8-17 Imperial County El Centro 3.203 2.808 3.399 2.959 Inyo County Bishop 3.199 2.817 3.325 2.943 Kern County Bakersfield 3.124 2.723 3.336 2.949 Ridgecrest 3.199 2.859 3.154 2.719 Los Angeles County Alhambra 2.924 2.684 3.039 2.799 Arcadia 2.990 2.765 3.229 2.968 Burbank 3.000 2.761 3.257 2.863 Culver City 3.089 2.822 3.542 2.999 Glendale 2.991 2.767 3.167 2.999 Glendora 2.963 2.692 3.149 2.960 Inglewood 2.977 2.753 3.159 2.832 Lancaster 3.060 2.744 3.249 2.949 Long Beach 2.967 2.720 3.120 2.896 Los Angeles 3.015 2.788 3.143 2.907 Manhattan Beach 2.942 2.749 3.079 2.894 Montebello 2.992 2.779 2.979 2.679 Santa Clarita 3.006 2.799 3.166 2.959 Santa Monica 3.063 2.861 3.359 3.199 Van Nuys 2.936 2.675 3.076 2.834 Whittier 2.940 2.703 2.977 2.730 Woodland Hills 2.998 2.789 3.215 2.992 Orange County Anaheim 2.904 2.697 3.008 2.789 Fullerton 2.907 2.674 3.082 2.799 Huntington Beach 2.951 2.719 3.146 2.919 La Habra 2.873 2.651 3.091 2.869 Laguna Beach 3.066 2.835 3.319 2.979 Newport Beach 3.052 2.826 3.259 3.030 San Clemente 3.038 2.824 3.212 2.989 Tustin 3.002 2.772 3.189 2.959 Riverside County Blythe 3.179 2.939 3.254 2.889 Hemet 2.999 2.785 2.959 2.939 Palm Springs 3.072 2.866 3.259 2.998 Riverside 2.954 2.703 3.122 2.842 San Bernardino County Redlands 2.942 2.672 3.179 2.875 San Bernardino 3.005 2.732 2.897 2.774 Victorville 3.070 2.831 3.081 2.849 San Diego County Chula Vista 3.016 2.785 3.316 2.974 Del Mar 3.052 2.824 3.199 2.999 Escondido 3.012 2.717 3.229 2.917 Oceanside 3.069 2.788 3.319 3.009 San Diego 3.042 2.807 3.243 3.006 San Luis Obispo County San Luis Obispo 3.061 2.873 3.386 3.049 Santa Barbara County Lompoc 3.084 2.843 3.279 2.992 Santa Barbara 3.113 2.854 3.079 2.912 Santa Maria 3.097 2.844 3.259 3.039 Tulare County Porterville 3.199 2.726 3.290 2.817 Visalia 3.175 2.761 3.299 2.999 Ventura County Ventura 2.964 2.747 3.012 2.864 So. Calif. Avg. 3.031 2.774 3.189 2.919
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. Editors, for regional average daily fuel prices nationwide, please go to www.fuelgaugereport.com.