Gas prices in Fresno have surged roughly $1 more per gallon in the past month, with drivers dealing with the highest costs at the pump in the past 2 1/2 years.
As of Thursday, AAA reported the average price for unleaded fuel in Fresno was $5.519 per gallon and as much as $6.580 per diesel.
Just last month, Fresno drivers were paying $4.593 for unleaded and $5.045 for diesel.
And in January, drivers could find regular unleaded gas as cheap as $3.29 per gallon in Fresno.
The war in Iran has been the root of people’s pain at the pump, with crude oil supply chain disruptions and cuts from major producers across the Middle East, according to the Associated Press.
Crude oil prices often determine the price of what people pay at the pump.
On Wednesday, brent crude, the international standard, was trading at over $108 a barrel. That’s roughly $70 more compared to a few weeks ago. Benchmark U.S. crude is now going for almost $98 a barrel.
In early February, the U.S. Energy Information Administration forecasted that crude oil prices to fall from an average of $69 per barrel in 2025 to $58 per barrel in 2026 and $53 per barrel in 2026.
But that was before the United States, in coordination with Israel, launched airstrikes against Iran on Feb. 28, 2026.
U.S. President Donald Trump and members of his Cabinet described rising prices as a “small price to pay” to achieve their goals in Iran, according to The Hill.
On average, fuel prices are at its highest since September 2023.
However, today’s prices still aren’t nearly as high as when the United States got involved in the Ukraine War. In June 2022, the average price for regular gas in Fresno was at $6.32 per gallon.
The current cost of fuel also is higher due to the typical increase in prices as the weather warms up.
To help offset rising prices, the U.S. Department of Energy announced it would release 172 million barrels of oil from its strategic reserves over four months. The move is part of a broader effort by the International Energy Agency to release a total of 400 million barrels of oil, the largest emergency release in its history, according to AAA.
By state, the five most expensive gasoline markets are: California ($5.36), Hawaii ($4.76), Washington ($4.74), Nevada ($4.39), Oregon ($4.30).
The five least expensive gasoline markets are: Kansas ($3.04), Oklahoma ($3.05), North Dakota ($3.09), Arkansas ($3.11), Missouri ($3.12).
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Bryant-Jon Anteola is a multimedia reporter for The Fresno Bee, writing stories and producing videos about sports, news and random topics relatable to those in the Fresno area. He’s won a McClatchy President’s Award and received honorable mention by the Associated Press Sports Editors. He enjoys sports because of the competition, camaraderie and energy, and views sports as a microcosm of society.