YUMA, AZ (AZFamily) — Drivers in the Southwest and across the United States are feeling another jolt at the pump as gas prices climb again.
Border communities in western Arizona are seeing a familiar trend: “gas tourists” crossing into Arizona from California for cheaper fill-ups.
Along the Arizona-California line near Yuma, the steady back-and-forth traffic now includes motorists who make the short drive over the bridge specifically to buy gasoline on the Arizona side.
“I can’t believe it … it’s crazy,” one driver said.
Another said rising prices are forcing them to cut back: “I try to drive less every week.”
A widening border gap
Prices aren’t rising evenly everywhere, and nowhere is that more obvious than at the Arizona-California border.
AAA data shows Arizona’s statewide average was about $4.05 per gallon last week. It has since climbed to about $4.30, a 25-cent increase.
In California, the statewide average was about $5.38 last week and is now about $5.54, up roughly 13 cents.
In Yuma, resident Blake Welch said he’s noticing the increase at home, but the prices across the border can be even tougher to stomach.
“It was $62 or $65 to fill up my tank; I only have an 11-gallon tank, so it’s kind of crazy,” Welch said. “Down here is a little bit better. I mean it’s still pretty bad … it’s 40 bucks for an 11-gallon tank.”
Global tensions, local impact
The latest run-up comes as renewed conflict in the Middle East raises concerns about global oil supplies — a half a world away, but with real impacts for consumers in the Southwest.
On the California side of the border, Michael Peek of Chula Vista said Arizona prices are noticeably more affordable, and he’s hoping geopolitical uncertainty eases.
“I hope the war in Iran gets resolved, the Strait of Hormuz get opened up, and gas prices go back to normal,” Peek said. “I think that is what everyone hopes for.”
With prices staying high, some drivers say they’re changing how often they get behind the wheel, driving less, combining errands or searching for station-to-station deals to save a few cents.
For gas station owners along the state border, the price difference can shift business quickly. In communities like Yuma, Arizona’s lower prices are drawing customers from across state lines.
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