Auto Club: Gas Prices Continue Upward, But Increases Slow Down As Averages Near $6 A Gallon

Southern California gas prices continued upward toward the $6 mark this past week, while the national average topped $4 a gallon for the first time since August 2022, according to the Auto Club's Weekend Gas Watch. Today's statewide average for a gallon of regular gasoline is $5.89, a five-cent jump from last week and $1.01 higher than at this time last year. The national average jumped by 10 cents in a week to $4.08, which is 85 cents higher than on this date last year.

The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $6 per gallon, five cents higher than last week and $1.11 higher than a year ago. In San Diego, the average price is $5.93 - two cents higher than last week and $1.05 higher than this time last year.

On the Central Coast, the average price is $5.78, up five cents from last week and 97 cents higher than a year ago. In Riverside, the average price per gallon is $5.84, three cents higher than last week and $1.07 higher than a year ago. In Bakersfield, the $5.84 average is eight cents higher than last week and $1.13 higher than one year ago.

"After four weeks of double-digit weekly price increases, Southern California gas price increases finally slowed down this past week, but Los Angeles still became the first major Southern California metro area to reach $6 a gallon on average," said Auto Club spokesperson Kandace Redd. "As of today, the lowest Southern California pump prices are between $5.25 and $5.40 a gallon. Drivers should shop online for the lowest prices near them with tools such as the free AAA Mobile app."

The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline. As of 9 a.m. on April 2, averages are: