LIVE WITH WHAT DRIVERS IN MONTEREY COUNTY ARE NOTICING….AND DAN AFTER SPEAKING WITH DRIVERS…SOME ARE DEFINITELY NOTICING THE HIGHER PRICES…BUT TRIPLE-A SAYS WE ARE NOT TOO FAR AWAY FROM LAST YEARS AVERAGE COST PER GALLON.## MANY DRIVERS ARE PAYING CLOSER ATTENTION TO WHO HAS THE CHEAPEST GAS. AS MONTEREY COUNTY HITS AN AVERAGE COST OF 5-DOLLARS A GALLON… .HIGHER THAN BIGGER METROPOLITAN AREAS LIKE SAN FRANCISCO AND SAN JOSE…WHERE THE AVERAGE SITS IN THE HIGH 4-DOLLAR RANGE. IN THE LAST WEEK THE CALIFORNIA AVERAGE HAS GONE UP 26-CENTS PER GALLON…WITH A 9-CENT INCREASE IN JUST ONE DAY. WHILE SOME MAY FEEL THE WEIGHT OF INCREASED PRICES JOHNSON SAYS WE AREN’T FAR FROM PREVIOUS AVERAGES. JOHNSON SAYS THIS IS USUALLY A TIME OF YEAR WHERE WE SEE COSTS RISE…USUALLY DUE TO BLENDS OF GASOLINE BEING STOPPED. TRIPLE-A DID PROVIDE US WITH SOME TIPS FOR FOLKS WHO MAY WANT TO TRY AND SAVE GAS AND MONEY. THEY SAY… -EXCESSIVE IDLING OR SPEEDING WILL BURN THROUGH YOUR TANK FASTER. ALSO ADDING THAT HAVING PROPER TIRE PRESSURE AND ALIGNMENT WILL SAVE YOU SOME MILES. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IS ALWAYS AN OPTION AS WELL. LIVE IN SALINAS MICHAEL ROSALES KSBW ACTION NEWS 8## HERE’S A LOOK AT THE AVERAGE GAS PRICES IN OTHER CENTRAL COAST COUNTIES
California gas prices rise sharply, impacting Monterey County drivers
Gas prices in California have surged, with Monterey County experiencing higher costs than larger cities, prompting drivers to seek cheaper options and experts to explain the reasons behind the increase.
Updated: 6:08 PM PST Mar 6, 2026
Prices in California have jumped over 20 cents in the past week, with Monterey County drivers noticing the increase as the average cost hits $5 per gallon, surpassing prices in larger cities like San Francisco and San Jose, where the average remains in the high $4 range.Many drivers are now paying closer attention to who has the cheapest gas, with some drivers saying they can’t fill up all the way anymore.Roger Arce, a Salinas local, said, “I remember about 2 or 3 months ago, they were about $3.50. Now they are almost $5 a gallon.” Another driver, Cesar, remarked, “Five bucks! I haven’t seen that in a minute. I’m used to, like, you know, three bucks, four bucks.”The California average has increased by 26 cents per gallon in the last week, with a 9-cent rise in just one day. Doug Johnson from AAA explained that geopolitical factors are influencing the price surge, stating, “China and India, they do get their oil supplies from Iran. So now that they may not be able to do that, what China and India are going to have to do is go to the same sources that we go to, therefore it’s going to be impacted, the supply is going to be more competitive to get, and therefore prices are going to go up.”Despite the increase, Johnson noted that current prices are not far from previous averages, saying, “We were actually reporting the gas prices were lower this year than they were this time last year.” He added, “The last time we saw a similar jump was when Russia invaded Ukraine back in 2022. And if you actually look at the graph right now, we are at a lower price right now than we were back in 2022. But it is quickly rising up.”Johnson also mentioned that this time of year typically sees rising costs due to changes in gasoline blends, explaining, “We’re switching from the winter blend over to the summer blend of gasoline. Our winter blend is cheaper to produce, and the summer blend has more additives. That way, it can burn cleaner in the summer months. So that is more expensive.”AAA provided tips for drivers looking to save on gas and money, including planning trips efficiently, avoiding speeding, reducing excessive idling, and maintaining proper tire pressure and alignment.
Prices in California have jumped over 20 cents in the past week, with Monterey County drivers noticing the increase as the average cost hits $5 per gallon, surpassing prices in larger cities like San Francisco and San Jose, where the average remains in the high $4 range.
Many drivers are now paying closer attention to who has the cheapest gas, with some drivers saying they can’t fill up all the way anymore.
Roger Arce, a Salinas local, said, “I remember about 2 or 3 months ago, they were about $3.50. Now they are almost $5 a gallon.”
Another driver, Cesar, remarked, “Five bucks! I haven’t seen that in a minute. I’m used to, like, you know, three bucks, four bucks.”
The California average has increased by 26 cents per gallon in the last week, with a 9-cent rise in just one day.
Doug Johnson from AAA explained that geopolitical factors are influencing the price surge, stating, “China and India, they do get their oil supplies from Iran. So now that they may not be able to do that, what China and India are going to have to do is go to the same sources that we go to, therefore it’s going to be impacted, the supply is going to be more competitive to get, and therefore prices are going to go up.”
Despite the increase, Johnson noted that current prices are not far from previous averages, saying, “We were actually reporting the gas prices were lower this year than they were this time last year.” He added, “The last time we saw a similar jump was when Russia invaded Ukraine back in 2022. And if you actually look at the graph right now, we are at a lower price right now than we were back in 2022. But it is quickly rising up.”
Johnson also mentioned that this time of year typically sees rising costs due to changes in gasoline blends, explaining, “We’re switching from the winter blend over to the summer blend of gasoline. Our winter blend is cheaper to produce, and the summer blend has more additives. That way, it can burn cleaner in the summer months. So that is more expensive.”
AAA provided tips for drivers looking to save on gas and money, including planning trips efficiently, avoiding speeding, reducing excessive idling, and maintaining proper tire pressure and alignment.