LA Auto Club: Monthly Gas Price Average Sets New Record
LOS ANGELES--May 16, 2006--The average price of a gallon of gasoline in Southern California vaulted 51 cents from April to May obliterating the prior record monthly average gasoline price set last fall, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California monthly Fuel Gauge Report.The Southern California May average price for regular self-serve gasoline is $3.417, up from the April 11 average of $2.903. The prior record was set in September 2005 at $3.03.
"Gas prices have climbed $1.06 since December, due to a variety of oil and gas trader concerns about production in Nigeria, Iran and Venezuela as well as a scarcity of the additive, ethanol, in the southeast part of the nation," said Auto Club spokesperson Carol Thorp. "However, federal reports have indicated that high gas prices have reduced demand in recent weeks, and reduced demand should moderate prices."
Statewide, the average price for May is $3.378, up from is $2.860, in April. This eclipses the prior all-time record high of $3.054 that was set on Sept. 9, 2005. The lowest average price in the state is in San Rafael, where regular is selling for $3.223. Blythe reports the state's highest average price at $3.608.
Nationally, the average price is $2.943, up from $2.686 in April. The state with the highest gas price average is Hawaii at $3.400. Oklahoma has the lowest average price of $2.712.
In Southern California, the averages for regular and premium grades of gasoline are listed below:
County/City Reg 5-16 Reg 4-11 Pre 5-16 Pre 4-11 Imperial County El Centro 3.555 3.003 3.739 3.167 Inyo County Bishop 3.559 2.999 3.742 3.186 Kern County Bakersfield 3.430 2.885 3.601 3.019 Ridgecrest 3.451 2.894 3.399 2.844 Los Angeles County Alhambra 3.279 2.902 3.512 3.099 Arcadia 3.419 2.902 3.624 3.089 Burbank 3.412 2.884 3.592 3.106 Culver City 3.430 2.933 3.542 3.129 Glendale 3.383 2.875 3.599 3.069 Glendora 3.412 2.839 3.524 3.026 Inglewood 3.386 2.854 3.599 3.059 Lancaster 3.438 2.889 3.649 3.099 Long Beach 3.373 2.865 3.579 2.981 Los Angeles 3.421 2.915 3.596 3.079 Manhattan Beach 3.415 2.944 3.559 3.159 Montebello 3.368 2.859 3.326 2.883 Santa Clarita 3.342 2.893 3.454 3.080 Santa Monica 3.403 2.900 3.599 3.139 Van Nuys 3.379 2.829 3.549 3.004 Whittier 3.339 2.811 3.487 2.969 Woodland Hills 3.402 2.897 3.619 3.099 Orange County Anaheim 3.306 2.802 3.484 2.959 Fullerton 3.327 2.796 3.484 2.989 Huntington Beach 3.355 2.828 3.532 2.974 La Habra 3.300 2.763 3.449 2.839 Laguna Beach 3.425 2.989 3.537 3.176 Newport Beach 3.420 2.937 3.652 3.172 San Clemente 3.436 2.949 3.579 3.139 Tustin 3.393 2.907 3.599 3.119 Riverside County Blythe 3.608 3.115 3.809 3.149 Hemet 3.403 2.882 3.419 2.899 Palm Springs 3.481 2.971 3.699 3.192 Riverside 3.417 2.875 3.589 3.052 San Bernardino County Redlands 3.447 2.906 3.662 3.079 San Bernardino 3.444 2.890 3.499 3.061 Victorville 3.446 2.916 3.507 2.993 San Diego County Chula Vista 3.420 2.894 3.649 3.092 Del Mar 3.546 3.022 3.319 3.194 Escondido 3.400 2.847 3.581 3.032 Oceanside 3.453 2.883 3.649 3.069 San Diego 3.437 2.894 3.630 3.075 San Luis Obispo County San Luis Obispo 3.433 2.939 3.619 3.159 Santa Barbara County Lompoc 3.466 2.937 3.659 3.124 Santa Barbara 3.490 2.997 3.602 3.184 Santa Maria 3.466 2.984 3.578 3.199 Tulare County Porterville 3.411 2.907 3.619 3.094 Visalia 3.363 2.902 3.462 3.039 Ventura County Ventura 3.344 2.836 3.489 2.955 So. Calif. Avg. 3.417 2.903 3.568 3.069
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.
