Southern California Gas Prices Inch Downward for Second Month
19 October 1999
Southern California Gas Prices Inch Downward for Second Month; National Gas Price Continues to Climb
LOS ANGELES--Oct. 19, 1999--The average price of a gallon of regular self-serve unleaded gasoline in Southern California declined for a second consecutive month, dropping by 4.3 cents, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California Fuel Gauge Report.The October average price is $1.413, which compares with $1.456 on Sept. 21. Since late August, gas prices have given up nearly all of the pre-Labor Day gains by declining about 10 cents.
The Southern California average price compares with an October statewide average of $1.439. The October national average is $1.293 cents per gallon -- up 1.1 cents compared to September. While California prices continue to drop, the nationwide average price is now the highest since Dec. 18, 1990, when the United States was preparing for Operation Desert Storm.
Travelers to northern California can expect to pay an average of $1.49 per gallon for regular, down nearly 7 cents from last month. San Francisco is hovering higher at an average of $1.62 per gallon for regular.
Prices in California have dropped due to decreased demand following the summer travel season, according to industry analysts. Some analysts expect that unified production limits by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) may cause prices in California to show continued fluctuation. The price of a barrel of crude oil closed Monday at $22, down from $24 last month and compared to a low of $10.73 reached in December 1998.
In Southern California, the averages for regular and premium grades of gasoline are listed below for 48 communities:
UNL PRE
Imperial County
El Centro 1.581 1.794
Kern County
Bakersfield 1.474 1.653
Ridgecrest 1.543 1.719
Los Angeles County
Alhambra 1.312 1.529
Arcadia 1.344 1.549
Burbank 1.355 1.542
Culver City 1.384 1.554
Glendale 1.358 1.541
Glendora 1.364 1.594
Inglewood 1.342 1.524
Lancaster 1.34 1.53
Long Beach 1.318 1.511
Los Angeles 1.354 1.531
Manhattan Beach 1.36 1.558
Montebello 1.323 1.532
Santa Clarita 1.499 1.683
Santa Monica 1.432 1.59
Van Nuys 1.314 1.497
Whittier 1.298 1.492
Woodland Hills 1.388 1.587
Orange County
Anaheim 1.316 1.497
Fullerton 1.312 1.487
Huntington Beach 1.248 1.441
La Habra 1.287 1.462
San Clemente 1.421 1.683
Newport Beach 1.374 1.589
Tustin 1.335 1.523
Laguna Hills
Riverside County
Riverside 1.385 1.564
Palm Springs 1.433 1.632
Hemet 1.441 1.644
Blythe 1.582 1.792
San Diego County
Chula Vista 1.469 1.652
Clairemont
Del Mar 1.486 1.69
Escondido 1.373 1.601
Oceanside 1.41 1.626
San Diego 1.456 1.641
San Bernardino County
San Bernardino 1.403 1.557
Redlands 1.405 1.583
Victorville 1.408 1.59
Santa Barbara County
Lompoc 1.538 1.799
Santa Barbara 1.579 1.736
Santa Maria 1.531 1.701
San Luis Obispo County
San Luis Obispo 1.515 1.726
Tulare County
Visalia 1.45 1.672
Porterville 1.491 1.561
Inyo County
Bishop 1.565 1.711
Ventura County
Ventura 1.518 1.71
So. Calif. Total 1.413 1.604
The Auto Club's Fuel Gauge Report is based on data gathered from monitoring fuel transactions at 2,800 Southern California gas stations. The data is provided by Oil Price Information Service -- the nation's most comprehensive source of petroleum pricing information.
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 emergency road service, 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.