Travelers will spend slightly more than this time last year to fill up their tanks as they head out of town for Thanksgiving weekend, which is a new record for the holiday even though prices have dropped for five straight weeks, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California’s Weekend Gas Watch. The state average is $3.772 a gallon for regular today – 6.2 cents lower than last week and 90 cents lower than the $4.671 new record price set on Oct. 9.
The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $3.825 per gallon, which is 6.1 cents less than last week, 66 cents lower than last month, and 5 cents higher than last year. In San Diego, the price is $3.796, 5 cents below last week, 65 cents below last month, and 3 cents higher than last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $3.891, down 7.9 cents from last week, 62 cents lower than a month ago, and 5 cents above last year. In the Inland Empire, the average per gallon price is $3.787, down 5.1 cents from last week, 68 cents lower than last month, and 1 cent more than last year.
“With nearly 3.4 million Southern Californians expected to travel this weekend and almost 90 percent going by car, the good news is that gas prices have backed down by about 90 cents from the new records set in October,” said Auto Club spokesperson Jeffrey Spring. “Motorists should look for prices that are near or below $3.60 a gallon for regular unleaded to ensure they are getting the lowest price.”
The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline. As of 9 a.m. on Nov. 21, averages are:
Area | Regular | One-week change | Record Price |
Los Angeles – Long Beach | $3.825 | -6.1 cents | $4.705 (10/9/12) |
Orange County | $3.783 | -5.3 cents | $4.690 (10/8/12) |
San Diego | $3.796 | -5.0 cents | $4.725 (10/8/12) |
Santa Barbara – Santa Maria – Lompoc | $3.891 | -7.9 cents | $4.709 (6/21/08) |
Riverside – San Bernardino | $3.787 | -5.1 cents | $4.688 (10/8/12) |
Bakersfield | $3.859 | -6.6 cents | $4.648 (10/9/12) |
Ventura | $3.826 | -4.8 cents | $4.689 (10/7/2012) |