Auto Club: Gas Prices in Slow Decline; Hurricane Ivan Should Have Little Effect on West Coast Prices
LOS ANGELES--Sept. 14, 2004--Continuing its agonizingly slow decline, the average Southern California gas price has almost erased a slight increase that occurred before Labor Day and is roughly equal to the August month average, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California's monthly Fuel Gauge Report.The Southern California September average price for regular self-serve unleaded gasoline is $2.111, which compares to an Aug. 17, 2004 average price of $2.108. Statewide, the average price for September is $2.094.
"Even though we're past the busy summer driving season, gasoline prices decreases remain stubbornly slow due to recent high crude oil prices," said Auto Club spokeswoman Carol Thorp. "Hurricane Ivan is also causing pressure on oil prices and may contribute to increased wholesale prices for gasoline on the East Coast. Industry analysts say that the hurricane will not impact wholesale prices in California."
The lowest average price in Southern California is in Van Nuys, where prices are averaging $1.991. Santa Barbara continues to have the highest average price in Southern California at $2.282. Eureka has the highest in the state at $2.310. Nationally, the average price is $1.839, down from $1.862 in August.
In Southern California, the averages for regular and premium grades of gasoline are listed below:
County/City Unl 9-14 Unl 8-17 Pre 9-14 Pre 8-17 Imperial County El Centro 2.208 2.203 2.439 2.406 Inyo County Bishop 2.242 2.239 2.452 2.447 Kern County Bakersfield 2.077 2.045 2.219 2.199 Ridgecrest 2.139 2.219 2.352 2.432 Los Angeles County Alhambra 2.045 2.025 2.339 2.239 Arcadia 2.084 2.073 2.235 2.339 Burbank 2.075 2.061 2.282 2.289 Culver City 2.179 2.149 2.396 2.459 Glendale 2.075 2.086 2.292 2.224 Glendora 2.029 2.007 2.259 2.240 Inglewood 2.055 2.067 2.226 2.232 Lancaster 2.076 2.036 2.283 2.248 Long Beach 2.073 2.064 2.344 2.265 Los Angeles 2.100 2.105 2.302 2.290 Manhattan Beach 2.116 2.071 2.306 2.279 Montebello 2.084 2.076 2.299 2.259 Santa Clarita 2.087 2.077 2.294 2.244 Santa Monica 2.131 2.154 2.639 2.459 Van Nuys 1.991 2.010 2.192 2.172 Whittier 2.030 2.028 2.266 2.239 Woodland Hills 2.059 2.066 2.269 2.274 Orange County Anaheim 2.018 2.001 2.166 2.204 Fullerton 2.028 2.010 2.219 2.199 Huntington Beach 2.038 2.009 2.237 2.231 La Habra 2.002 1.991 2.199 2.206 Laguna Beach 2.159 2.164 2.374 2.256 Newport Beach 2.192 2.181 2.399 2.319 San Clemente 2.224 2.206 2.379 2.499 Tustin 2.095 2.095 2.289 2.329 Riverside County Blythe 2.262 2.267 2.379 2.469 Hemet 2.082 2.045 2.339 2.339 Palm Springs 2.239 2.209 2.519 2.488 Riverside 2.082 2.049 2.213 2.180 San Bernardino County Redlands 2.122 2.107 2.379 2.312 San Bernardino 2.074 2.070 2.344 2.369 Victorville 2.060 2.112 2.259 2.332 San Diego County Chula Vista 2.168 2.134 2.299 2.499 Del Mar 2.159 2.209 2.374 2.339 Escondido 2.013 2.023 2.229 2.242 Oceanside 2.125 2.091 2.379 2.406 San Diego 2.143 2.126 2.316 2.296 San Luis Obispo County San Luis Obispo 2.186 2.169 2.479 2.379 Santa Barbara County Lompoc 2.276 2.288 2.359 2.399 Santa Barbara 2.282 2.289 2.459 2.519 Santa Maria 2.227 2.237 2.359 2.327 Tulare County Porterville 1.999 2.134 2.198 2.304 Visalia 2.076 2.077 2.186 2.329 Ventura County Ventura 2.064 2.045 2.266 2.299 So. Calif. Avg. 2.111 2.108 2.318 2.319
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.
