The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Los Angeles County topped $6 for the first time since Oct. 8, 2023, Tuesday, increasing 1.1 cents to $6.005.
The average price has increased 40 of the last 41 days, increasing $1.386, including seven-tenths of a cent on Monday. It rose 10 consecutive days, was unchanged March 1 and resumed rising the following day.
The average price is 7.2 cents more than one week ago, $1.311i higher than one month ago and $1.186 greater than one year ago. It is 48.9 cents less than the record $6.494 set on Oct. 5, 2022.
The Orange County average price rose to its highest amount since Oct. 6, 2023, increasing seven-tenths of a cent to $5.938. It has risen 61 of the past 62 days, increasing $1.695, including eight-tenths of a cent on Monday.
The Orange County average price rose 57 consecutive days, dropped four-tenths of a cent on Friday and resumed rising the following day. It is 5.1 cents more than one week ago, $1.302 higher than one month ago and $1.145 greater than one year ago.
The Orange County average price is 52.1 cents less than the record $6.459 on Oct. 5, 2022.
The national average price topped $4 for the first time since Aug. 10, 2022, rising 2.8 cents to $4.018. It is 4.1 cents more than one week ago, $1.036 higher than one month ago and 85 cents greater than one year ago.
The national average price is 99.8 cents less than the record $5.016 set on June 14, 2022.
“Gasoline and diesel prices continue to climb to multi-year highs as the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz curtails the flow of millions of barrels of crude oil each day,” Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, which provides real-time gas price information from more than 150,000 stations, said in a statement released Monday.
“The situation remains highly volatile and unpredictable, but upward pressure on fuel prices is likely to persist as long as global oil supplies are constrained by the continued disruption in the strait.
“Americans have already spent nearly $8 billion more on gasoline over the past month, a trend that poses growing risks to the broader economy, while surging diesel prices may begin to reaccelerate inflation.”