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Auto Club: Average Monthly Gas Price Hits Record High For Third Consecutive Month

(LOS ANGELES, May 18, 2004) ? The average monthly price of regular gasoline in Southern California climbed another 13.6 cents from April to reach an all-time May high of $2.336 per gallon for regular self-serve unleaded gasoline, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California's monthly Fuel Gauge Report. Strong demand, combined with high oil prices and worries over tight summer gasoline supply have been pushing prices higher for four months.

"Wholesale prices have jumped up and down during the past month, so motorists have seen no relief at the pump," said Auto Club spokesperson Carol Thorp. "Continued unseasonably high demand has been a key reason, but the oil and gasoline futures market seems to be teeming with speculators taking advantage of anticipated tight summertime supplies."

The Southern California average price for regular self-serve unleaded gasoline is $2.336, up from $2.261 on April 13. The highest previous May Fuel Gauge Report price was in 2001 at $2.00.

The lowest average price in Southern California is La Habra, where drivers can pump regular self-serve unleaded gasoline for an average $2.235. The highest price in the state is in Palm Springs, where regular goes for an average $2.491. San Francisco Bay-area motorists now pay an average of $2.30, up from $2.20 in April. Nationally, prices continue to set new records and the Fuel Gauge Report indicates that the national average is $1.999.

In Southern California, the averages for regular and premium grades of gasoline are listed below:

County/City

Unl

Pre

 

Unl. Apr. 13

Pre. Apr. 13

Imperial County

     

El Centro

2.419

2.544

 

2.311

2.499

      

Inyo County

     

Bishop

2.379

2.504

 

2.309

2.499

     

Kern County

     

Bakersfield

2.306

2.489

 

2.194

2.289

Ridgecrest

2.301

2.484

 

2.263

2.325

      

Los Angeles County

     

Alhambra

2.262

2.467

 

2.175

2.299

Arcadia

2.294

2.499

 

2.228

2.499

Burbank

2.288

2.459

 

2.208

2.369

Culver City

2.336

2.541

 

2.317

2.659

Glendale

2.275

2.479

 

2.223

2.566

Glendora

2.315

2.529

 

2.188

2.382

Inglewood

2.309

2.494

 

2.219

2.439

Lancaster

2.313

2.518

 

2.214

2.557

Long Beach

2.290

2.480

 

2.214

2.382

Los Angeles

2.311

2.532

 

2.240

2.435

Manhattan Beach

2.407

2.639

 

2.320

2.519

Montebello

2.345

2.522

 

2.284

2.509

Santa Clarita

2.339

2.544

 

2.239

2.582

Santa Monica

2.377

2.559

 

2.324

2.667

Van Nuys

2.282

2.449

 

2.208

2.366

Whittier

2.296

2.592

 

2.214

2.412

Woodland Hills

2.325

2.496

 

2.262

2.422

     

Orange County

     

Anaheim

2.261

2.484

 

2.197

2.382

Fullerton

2.259

2.424

 

2.216

2.366

Huntington Beach

2.290

2.491

 

2.214

2.424

La Habra

2.235

2.440

 

2.162

2.373

Laguna Beach

2.379

2.584

 

2.339

2.549

Newport Beach

2.366

2.549

 

2.314

2.519

San Clemente

2.349

2.503

 

2.263

2.489

Tustin

2.298

2.514

 

2.265

2.489

     

Riverside County

     

Blythe

2.479

2.759

 

2.417

2.634

Hemet

2.293

2.494

 

2.231

2.434

Palm Springs

2.491

2.659

 

2.395

2.609

Riverside

2.306

2.450

 

2.222

2.389

     

San Bernardino County

     

Redlands

2.375

2.575

 

2.379

2.639

San Bernardino

2.367

2.567

 

2.319

2.579

Victorville

2.372

2.572

 

2.349

2.609

      

San Diego County

     

Chula Vista

2.353

2.613

 

2.274

2.493

Del Mar

2.402

2.662

 

2.292

2.359

Escondido

2.250

2.466

 

2.164

2.429

Oceanside

2.313

2.449

 

2.245

2.469

San Diego

2.340

2.541

 

2.262

2.451

     

San Luis Obispo County

     

San Luis Obispo

2.402

2.614

 

2.268

2.464

      

Santa Barbara County

     

Lompoc

2.433

2.586

 

2.334

2.484

Santa Barbara

2.436

2.589

 

2.318

2.484

Santa Maria

2.412

2.539

 

2.305

2.471

      

Tulare County

     

Porterville

2.269

2.528

 

2.159

2.325

Visalia

2.300

2.559

 

2.199

2.365

      

Ventura County

     

Ventura

2.328

2.545

 

2.253

2.442

      

So. Calif. Avg.

2.336

2.533

 

2.261

2.468

The Auto Club's Fuel Gauge Report is based on data gathered from monitoring fuel transactions at 2,800 Southern California gas stations. Oil Price Information Service — the nation's most comprehensive source of petroleum pricing information, provides the data.

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CST 1016202-80 Copyright © Automobile Club of Southern California. All Rights Reserved.
The Automobile Club of Southern California is a member club affiliated with the American Automobile Association (AAA) national federation and serves members in the following California counties: Inyo, Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Mono, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Tulare, and Ventura.