(LOS ANGELES, Dec. 14, 2004) — While Southern California's average price for regular gasoline dropped more than 18 cents during the past month, it is still 49 cents higher than last December, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California monthly Fuel Gauge Report.
The Southern California December average price for regular self-serve unleaded gasoline is $2.192 compared to a November 16 average of $2.374 and a year-ago average of $1.699. Statewide, the average price for December is $2.161, down from $2.355 in November.
"Fuel prices that peaked in late October have been creeping down since then," said Auto Club spokeswoman Carol Thorp. "However they aren't anywhere near the average prices that we saw last year at this time. The primary reason for higher prices is that while crude prices have been declining, they're still averaging about $10 per barrel more than last December. As long as California refineries continue to run smoothly we can expect pump prices to continue declining for the rest of the year."
The lowest average price in Southern California is in Escondido, where regular is selling for $2.068. Blythe reported the state's highest average price at $2.453. Marysville in northern California had the lowest price in the state at $1.946. Nationally, the average price is $1.84 down from $1.96 in November.
In Southern California, the averages for regular and premium grades of gasoline are listed below:
County/City | Unl. 12-14 | Unl. 11-16 | Pre. 12-14 | Pre. 11-16 | |
Imperial County | |||||
El Centro | 2.269 | 2.442 | 2.530 | 2.703 | |
Inyo County | |||||
Bishop | NA | 2.476 | NA | 2.686 | |
Kern County | |||||
Bakersfield | 2.116 | 2.321 | 2.255 | 2.369 | |
Ridgecrest | 2.172 | 2.319 | 2.372 | 2.519 | |
Los Angeles County | |||||
Alhambra | 2.115 | 2.293 | 2.299 | 2.399 | |
Arcadia | 2.159 | 2.336 | 2.386 | 2.479 | |
Burbank | 2.177 | 2.340 | 2.319 | 2.524 | |
Culver City | 2.344 | 2.432 | 2.644 | 2.732 | |
Glendale | 2.195 | 2.350 | 2.409 | 2.514 | |
Glendora | 2.075 | 2.307 | 2.319 | 2.559 | |
Inglewood | 2.137 | 2.334 | 2.372 | 2.519 | |
Lancaster | 2.127 | 2.317 | 2.359 | 2.564 | |
Long Beach | 2.157 | 2.353 | 2.378 | 2.596 | |
Los Angeles | 2.203 | 2.370 | 2.411 | 2.553 | |
Manhattan Beach | 2.182 | 2.376 | 2.239 | 2.619 | |
Montebello | 2.161 | 2.339 | 2.359 | 2.569 | |
Santa Clarita | 2.194 | 2.357 | 2.355 | 2.517 | |
Santa Monica | 2.279 | 2.401 | 2.587 | 2.709 | |
Van Nuys | 2.099 | 1.292 | 2.316 | 2.506 | |
Whittier | 2.163 | 2.333 | 2.247 | 2.339 | |
Woodland Hills | 2.178 | 2.332 | 2.349 | 2.479 | |
Orange County | |||||
Anaheim | 2.090 | 2.018 | 2.235 | 2.449 | |
Fullerton | 2.101 | 2.294 | 2.312 | 2.498 | |
Huntington Beach | 2.092 | 2.287 | 2.319 | 2.523 | |
La Habra | 2.099 | 2.281 | 2.312 | 2.489 | |
Laguna Beach | 2.251 | 2.489 | 2.309 | 2.547 | |
Newport Beach | 2.261 | 2.401 | 2.506 | 2.619 | |
San Clemente | 2.197 | 2.411 | 2.369 | 2.582 | |
Tustin | 2.195 | 2.384 | 2.394 | 2.599 | |
Riverside County | |||||
Blythe | 2.453 | 2.506 | 2.509 | 2.654 | |
Hemet | 2.179 | 2.354 | 2.424 | 2.599 | |
Palm Springs | 2.366 | 2.466 | 2.424 | 2.524 | |
Riverside | 2.149 | 2.354 | 2.321 | 2.540 | |
San Bernardino County | |||||
Redlands | 2.142 | 2.417 | 2.309 | 2.779 | |
San Bernardino | 2.158 | 2.367 | 2.349 | 2.619 | |
Victorville | 2.191 | 2.347 | 2.386 | 2.562 | |
San Diego County | |||||
Chula Vista | 2.191 | 2.446 | 2.454 | 2.619 | |
Del Mar | 2.179 | 2.399 | 2.359 | 2.559 | |
Escondido | 2.068 | 2.265 | 2.319 | 2.519 | |
Oceanside | 2.192 | 2.379 | 2.450 | 2.624 | |
San Diego | 2.227 | 2.397 | 2.466 | 2.601 | |
San Luis Obispo County | |||||
San Luis Obispo | 2.259 | 2.429 | 2.342 | 2.512 | |
Santa Barbara County | |||||
Lompoc | 2.336 | 2.542 | 2.545 | 2.751 | |
Santa Barbara | 2.306 | 2.490 | 2.499 | 2.669 | |
Santa Maria | 2.301 | 2.474 | 2.526 | 2.699 | |
Tulare County | |||||
Porterville | 2.203 | NA | 2.342 | NA | |
Visalia | 2.189 | 2.391 | 2.332 | 2.579 | |
Ventura County | |||||
Ventura | 2.134 | 2.306 | 2.359 | 2.512 | |
So. Calif. Avg. | 2.192 | 2.374 | 2.382 | 2.568 |
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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