Travelers Pay Lowest July Fourth Gas Prices Since 2010

More than two million local travelers filling their tanks today and tomorrow for the holiday weekend will be paying the lowest Independence Day gas prices since 2010 after six weeks of price drops that started before Memorial Day, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California's Weekend Gas Watch. The retail state average is $3.438 a gallon for regular today, 2.6 cents less than last week.

The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $3.553 per gallon, which is 2.7 cents less than last week, 29 cents less than last month, and 62 cents lower than last year. In San Diego, the average price is $3.504, which is 3.9 cents less than last week, 30 cents lower than last month, and 65 cents lower than last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $3.492, 5 cents less than last week, 30 cents lower than a month ago, and 68 cents less than last year. In the Inland Empire, the average per-gallon price is $3.48, down 4.2 cents from last week, 30 cents less than last month, and 66 cents less than last year.

“While 2.4 million local travelers going by car this weekend will benefit from low gas prices, the bad news is that it appears the price drops may be nearing an end,” said Auto Club spokesman Jeffrey Spring. “Wholesale prices have been rising in the Los Angeles market, and if that trend continues next week, we could see higher prices. However, a plateau may be more likely as higher crude oil production is expected to lower oil prices this month.”

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