Auto Club: Gas Prices Poised To Top $6 A Gallon In SoCal As Mideast Conflict Continues

Some Southern California gas price averages are likely to top $6 a gallon in the coming days as the Iran conflict continues for a fourth week, according to the Auto Club's Weekend Gas Watch. Today's statewide average for a gallon of regular gasoline is $5.84, a 23-cent jump from last week and $1.19 higher than at this time last year. The national average jumped by 10 cents in a week to $3.98, which is 83 cents higher than on this date last year.

The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $5.95 per gallon, 24 cents higher than last week and $1.30 higher than a year ago. In San Diego, the average price is $5.91 - 22 cents higher than last week and $1.24 higher than this time last year.

On the Central Coast, the average price is $5.73, up 23 cents from last week and $1.11 higher than a year ago. In Riverside, the average price per gallon is $5.81, 23 cents higher than last week and $1.30 higher than a year ago. In Bakersfield, the $5.76 average is 26 cents higher than last week and $1.19 higher than one year ago.

"Southern California gas prices are following a similar pattern to the spike we saw after Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022," said Auto Club spokesperson Kandace Redd. "Today marks 27 days since the Iran conflict began, and the Los Angeles average gas price has risen by $1.26 a gallon since then. During the same number of days after the Russia-Ukraine war began, the Los Angeles average gas price rose by $1.19 a gallon to an average price of over $6 a gallon."

The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline. As of 9 a.m. on March 26, averages are: