The Southern California January average price for regular self-serve gasoline is $2.357, which is up 6.8 cents from a Dec. 20, 2005, average of $2.289.
"Crude oil prices have been creeping up in recent days and traders are anticipating a decline in inventory due to refineries reducing production to perform annual maintenance," said Auto Club spokesperson Carol Thorp. "Opinion is split on the short-term direction of gasoline prices. Some analysts think oil is overpriced because there is sufficient inventory, while others believe this is the early beginning of a spring run-up in prices."
Statewide, the average price for January is $2.360, up 11 cents from $2.250 in December. The all-time record high of $3.054 was set on Sept. 9, 2005. The lowest average price in Southern California is in La Habra, where regular is selling for $2.225. Blythe reports the region's highest average price at $2.559.
Nationally, the average price is $2.322, up from $2.210 in December. The state with the lowest gas price average is Utah at $2.088. The nation's highest average price is in Hawaii, where regular gasoline is selling for an average of $2.695.
In Southern California, the averages for regular and premium grades of gasoline are listed below:
Reg Reg Pre Pre
County/City 1-10-06 12-20-05 1-10-06 12-20-05
Imperial County
El Centro 2.474 2.326 2.449 2.464
Inyo County
Bishop 2.397 2.479 2.749 2.679
Kern County
Bakersfield 2.332 2.247 2.409 2.457
Ridgecrest 2.399 2.459 2.443 2.661
Los Angeles County
Alhambra 2.280 2.201 2.556 2.369
Arcadia 2.360 2.265 2.432 2.339
Burbank 2.300 2.248 2.299 2.342
Culver City 2.426 2.342 2.479 2.249
Glendale 2.290 2.241 2.479 2.426
Glendora 2.279 2.219 2.559 2.469
Inglewood 2.308 2.215 2.399 2.419
Lancaster 2.332 2.244 2.428 2.259
Long Beach 2.306 2.220 2.500 2.371
Los Angeles 2.344 2.276 2.518 2.444
Manhattan Beach 2.327 2.262 2.588 2.339
Montebello 2.310 2.218 2.189 2.159
Santa Clarita 2.312 2.223 2.499 2.469
Santa Monica 2.376 2.327 2.759 2.569
Van Nuys 2.276 2.223 2.395 2.366
Whittier 2.278 2.213 2.297 2.219
Woodland Hills 2.346 2.294 2.519 2.474
Orange County
Anaheim 2.262 2.182 2.334 2.250
Fullerton 2.227 2.125 2.342 2.209
Huntington Beach 2.243 2.136 2.432 2.330
La Habra 2.225 2.114 2.419 2.319
Laguna Beach 2.419 2.350 2.635 2.599
Newport Beach 2.348 2.276 2.565 2.479
San Clemente 2.414 2.344 2.487 2.514
Tustin 2.333 2.276 2.559 2.439
Riverside County
Blythe 2.559 2.575 2.599 2.599
Hemet 2.373 2.284 2.309 2.364
Palm Springs 2.359 2.399 2.603 2.646
Riverside 2.304 2.238 2.507 2.407
San Bernardino County
Redlands 2.277 2.172 2.556 2.399
San Bernardino 2.318 2.265 2.370 2.239
Victorville 2.332 2.269 2.306 2.203
San Diego County
Chula Vista 2.394 2.271 2.591 2.628
Del Mar 2.466 2.322 2.649 2.469
Escondido 2.336 2.247 2.588 2.472
Oceanside 2.394 2.336 2.699 2.554
San Diego 2.392 2.301 2.684 2.614
San Luis Obispo County
San Luis Obispo 2.488 2.398 2.724 2.631
Santa Barbara County
Lompoc 2.481 2.411 2.757 2.684
Santa Barbara 2.492 2.414 2.506 2.486
Santa Maria 2.488 2.422 2.526 2.399
Tulare County
Porterville 2.419 2.399 2.505 2.489
Visalia 2.385 2.329 2.633 2.552
Ventura County
Ventura 2.349 2.276 2.402 2.313
So. Calif. Avg. 2.357 2.289 2.505 2.434
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.