As an all-time record 7.7 million Southern Californians get set to take to the roads and skies for the holidays, gas price averages continue hovering between $2.70 and $2.75 – the lowest end-of-year holiday prices since 2008, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California's Weekend Gas Watch. The retail state average is $2.673 a gallon for regular today, 1.6 cents more than last Thursday.
The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $2.719 per gallon, which is 1.2 cents higher than last week, four cents lower than last month, and 17 cents lower than last year. In San Diego, the average price is $2.719, which is a penny higher than last week, three cents lower than last month, and 13 cents less than this time last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $2.754, 1.6 cents more than last week, three cents lower than a month ago, and four cents lower than last year. In the Inland Empire, the average per-gallon price is $2.675, eight-tenths of one cent more than last week, five cents less than this time last month, and 13 cents less than last year.
“Gasoline demand from Mexico could be playing a role in preventing further price drops at local gasoline stations, as refineries both on the West Coast and Gulf Coast are reportedly shipping excess supplies there,” said Auto Club spokesman Jeffrey Spring. “However, the 6.8 million Southland residents going by car to holiday destinations will be paying less to fill up than for any other Christmas-New Year’s holiday since 2008.”
The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline. As of 9 a.m. on Dec. 22, averages are:
|
Area |
Regular |
1-week change |
Record Price |
|
Los Angeles – Long Beach |
$2.719 |
+1.2 cents |
$4.705 (10/9/12) |
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Orange County |
$2.712 |
+1.5 cents |
$4.690 (10/8/12) |
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San Diego |
$2.719 |
+1.0 cent |
$4.725 (10/8/12) |
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Santa Barbara – Santa Maria – Lompoc |
$2.754 |
+1.6 cents |
$4.709 (6/21/08) |
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Riverside – San Bernardino |
$2.675 |
+0.8 cent |
$4.688 (10/8/12) |
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Ventura |
$2.710 |
+0.9 cent |
$4.689 (10/7/12) |
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Bakersfield |
$2.660 |
+0.5 cent |
$4.648 (10/9/12) |