REDDING, Calif. \u2014 Gas prices are climbing ahead of Labor Day weekend, but what drivers are paying at the pump varies widely across the Northstate.<\/p>\n
AAA reports California\u2019s statewide average at $5.78 a gallon. In Shasta County, the average is $5.56, while Butte County is slightly lower at $5.55. Drivers in Humboldt County are paying considerably more, with the average reaching $6.11 a gallon.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s all about demand, right, and also local taxes and county taxes,\u201d said Doug Johnson, a AAA Northern California spokesperson.<\/p>\n
Johnson said differences in local taxes can help explain why prices vary from place to place. <\/p>\n
\u201cGas prices might be more expensive in San Francisco than they would be in Redding because there are different local taxes that they put on the gas to help fix the roads and things like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, taxes are not the only factor affecting prices. Johnson pointed to global events that are putting pressure on the oil market. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s instability in those markets and everything that\u2019s going on with the conflict with Iran and the Strait of Hormuz,” Johnson said.<\/p>\n
As millions of drivers prepare to travel for Labor Day weekend, AAA said it is the final three-day weekend of the summer and that California drivers are paying more than they were this time last year. <\/p>\n
\u201cGas prices are about $1.18 higher on average in California this year compared to last Labor Day last year,” he said.<\/p>\n
Drivers looking to save can use apps such as GasBuddy to find the cheapest gas in their area.<\/p>\n
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