Auto Club: Statewide Gas Price Average Drops To Lowest Level Of 2025

Southern California gas prices continued their rapid descent, with the average price statewide and in a few metro areas dropping to their lowest levels of this year, according to the Auto Club's Weekend Gas Watch. The average price for self-serve regular gasoline in California is $4.33, which is eight cents lower than last week and two cents higher than a year ago today. The average national price is $2.89, which is five cents lower than a week ago and 14 cents lower than on this date last year.

The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $4.48 per gallon, which is nine cents lower than last week and 11 cents more than last year. In San Diego, the average price is $4.52, which is eight cents lower than last week and seven cents higher than the price this time last year.

On the Central Coast, the average price is $4.43, which is nine cents less than last week, four cents higher than last year, and the lowest price average of 2025. In Riverside, the average per-gallon price is $4.23, which is 12 cents lower than last week, two cents lower than a year ago and the lowest price of this year. In Bakersfield, the $4.36 average price is seven cents lower than last week and eight cents higher than a year ago today.

"A few gas stations in Southern California, mainly in the Inland Empire, now are posting prices below $3.50 a gallon," said Auto Club spokesperson Doug Shupe. "It's a good idea to shop around for the lowest nearby price when pump prices are falling so rapidly, using a tool such as the free AAA Mobile app. Drivers can usually find gas stations near them charging 50 to 70 cents per gallon less than the average price for their area."

The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline. As of 9 a.m. on Dec. 18, averages are: