(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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