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Auto Club: Early May Uptick Causes Monthly Gas Price Increase

(LOS ANGELES, May 12, 2009) — Gas prices throughout Southern California experienced a rare springtime lull throughout April, but swung up quickly over the past week by eight to ten cents in many local cities, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California monthly Fuel Gauge Report.

The Southern California May average price for regular self-serve gasoline is $2.444, about 10 cents higher than the April average price of $2.348 – and almost all of that increase occurred in the past week. By comparison, in May 2008, the monthly Fuel Gauge Report average for Southern California was $3.928 – $1.48 higher than the current monthly average.

The statewide average price of $2.45 is 11 cents higher than the April average of $2.341. Redding, La Habra and Glendora are tied for the state’s lowest gas price average at $2.384. Once again, Tahoe City has the highest price average in the state at $2.699.

Nationally, the average price of $2.248 is nearly 20 cents higher than the April average of $2.05. Alaska has the highest state average price at $2.613, and Arizona has the lowest state average price – and the only state average under $2 – at $1.987.

“Oil industry analysts have seen a spike in crude oil and wholesale gasoline prices in recent days on reports that the world economy is growing stronger and anticipation that fuel demand will grow, even it is flat right now and fuel inventories have been growing,” said Auto Club spokesperson Jeffrey Spring. “We did see a couple of instances last week when prices jumped by two cents in a day. But overall, our gas price increases so far this year have been much more of a slope than a spike.”
In Southern California, the averages for regular and premium grades of gasoline are listed below:
 


County/City

Unl 5/12

Unl 4/14

Pre 5/12

Pre 4/14



Imperial County



El Centro

2.395

2.356

2.550

2.509



Inyo County


Bishop

2.459

2.411

2.563

2.598



Kern County


Bakersfield

2.507

2.365

2.646

2.531



Ridgecrest

2.523

2.401

2.554

2.539



Los Angeles County


Alhambra

2.411

2.339

2.615

2.544



Arcadia

2.428

2.345

2.666

2.599



Burbank

2.450

2.347

2.648

2.559



Culver City

2.456

2.357

2.599

2.629



Glendale

2.436

2.358

2.634

2.574



Glendora

2.384

2.273

2.599

2.483



Inglewood

2.412

2.304

2.599

2.479



Lancaster

2.438

2.334

2.620

2.519



Long Beach

2.411

2.315

2.594

2.519



Los Angeles

2.438

2.348

2.638

2.557



Manhattan Beach

2.457

2.381

2.619

2.567



Montebello

2.415

2.329

2.679

2.511



Santa Clarita

2.443

2.332

2.646

2.499



Santa Monica

2.424

2.332

2.659

2.541



Van Nuys

2.387

2.288

2.582

2.486



Whittier

2.423

2.306

2.625

2.542



Woodland Hills

2.417

2.306

2.556

2.464



Orange County


Anaheim

2.394

2.287

2.572

2.491



Fullerton

2.386

2.289

2.583

2.486



Huntington Beach

2.411

2.317

2.606

2.493



La Habra

2.384

2.264

2.519

2.453



Laguna Beach

2.496

2.389

2.689

2.577



Newport Beach

2.488

2.390

2.677

2.619



San Clemente

2.478

2.376

2.675

2.590



Tustin

2.427

2.348

2.622

2.541



Riverside County


Blythe

2.518

2.438

2.751

2.667



Hemet

2.410

2.301

2.610

2.495



Palm Springs

2.470

2.352

2.589

2.586



Riverside

2.407

2.301

2.594

2.482



San Bernardino County


Redlands

2.407

2.329

2.605

2.431



San Bernardino

2.422

2.318

2.567

2.501



Victorville

2.414

2.298

2.580

2.480



San Diego County


Chula Vista

2.401

2.310

2.593

2.506



Del Mar

2.559

2.499

2.739

2.700



Escondido

2.441

2.338

2.615

2.524



Oceanside

2.465

2.352

2.695

2.528



San Diego

2.441

2.342

2.629

2.537



San Luis Obispo County


San Luis Obispo

2.496

2.392

2.609

2.545



Santa Barbara County


Lompoc

2.495

2.413

2.659

2.592



Santa Barbara

2.503

2.443

2.737

2.752



Santa Maria

2.474

2.374

2.675

2.530



Tulare County


Porterville

2.467

2.335

2.639

2.599



Visalia

2.501

2.414

2.673

2.596



Ventura County


Ventura

2.449

2.346

2.635

2.530

Unl 5/12

Unl 4/14

Unl 5/12

Pre 4/14



So. Calif. Avg.

2.444

2.348

2.626

2.543

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.