Holiday weekend travelers will be paying the lowest gas prices in five years in Southern California as pump prices dropped by double digits in most areas this last week, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California's Weekend Gas Watch. The retail state average is $3.311 a gallon for regular today, 9.2 cents less than last week.
The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $3.526 per gallon, which is 10 cents less than last week, 49 cents less than last month, and 30 cents lower than last year. In San Diego, the average price is $3.445, which is 10.4 cents less than last week, 52 cents lower than last month, and 37 cents less than this time last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $3.482, 11.6 cents less than last week, 45 cents lower than a month ago, and 40 cents less than last year. In the Inland Empire, the average per-gallon price is $3.429, 12.6 cents lower than last week, 54 cents less than last month, and 36 cents less than last year.
“While the national average gas price is $1 or more below most Southern California areas, local prices are dropping at a more rapid rate than in most other states,” said Auto Club spokesman Jeffrey Spring. “Southland residents visiting the No. 2 Labor Day travel destination, Las Vegas, will pay about 50 cents less a gallon to fill up there, and those visiting Arizona will pay about $1 a gallon less than prices in Los Angeles.”
The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline. As of 9 a.m. on Sept. 3, averages are:
Area |
Regular |
One-week change |
Record Price |
Los Angeles – Long Beach |
$3.526 |
-10.0 cents |
$4.705 (10/9/12) |
|
|
|
|
Orange County |
$3.493 |
-6.8 cents |
$4.690 (10/8/12) |
|
|
|
|
San Diego |
$3.445 |
-10.4 cents |
$4.725 (10/8/12) |
|
|
|
|
Santa Barbara – Santa Maria – Lompoc |
$3.482 |
-11.6 cents |
$4.709 (6/21/08) |
|
|
|
|
Riverside – San Bernardino |
$3.429 |
-12.6 cents |
$4.688 (10/8/12) |
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|
|
Ventura |
$3.493 |
-11.3 cents |
$4.689 (10/7/12) |