Southern California gas prices ticked up slightly in many areas and are closing out the year at levels that are a dime or less away from their all-time records, according to the Auto Club’s Weekend Gas Watch. The average price for self-serve regular gasoline in California is $4.66, which is unchanged compared to last week and five cents below the record price of $4.71 reached in late November. The average national price is $3.29, which is down three cents from a week ago.
The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $4.68 a gallon, which is one cent higher than last week, three cents lower than last month, $1.45 higher than last year and four cents lower than the all-time record price. In San Diego, the average price is $4.63, which is up one cent from last week, down four cents from last month, $1.41 higher than last year, and 10 cents below its record price.
On the Central Coast, the average price is $4.61, which is unchanged from last Thursday, four cents lower than last month, $1.38 higher than last year, and nine cents below the record. In Riverside, the average per-gallon price is $4.61, which is one cent higher than last Thursday, three cents lower than last month, $1.44 higher than last year and seven cents below the record. In Bakersfield, the $4.61 average price is one cent lower than last Thursday, four cents lower than last month, $1.47 higher than a year ago today and five cents lower than the record price.
“Southland drivers in 2021 paid an annual average of at well over $4 a gallon, eclipsing the annual average records set in 2012,” said Auto Club spokesman Jeffrey Spring. “The statewide average price for this year is $4.16 – 25 cents higher than the next highest-priced state, Hawaii.”
The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline. As of 9 a.m. on Dec. 30, averages are: