EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Drivers in El Paso are seeing gas prices climb to near-record levels as the war with Iran continues and oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz remain disrupted.

At a Circle K in West El Paso, local gas prices have reached almost $4 a gallon.

The national average for a regular gallon of gasoline is $4.02, while El Paso’s average is $3.94 — an increase of more than 40% over the last month.

U.S. gas prices have jumped past an average of $4 a gallon for the first time since 2022.

RECOMMENDED: Iran strikes a fully loaded oil tanker off Dubai coast as gas reaches $4 a gallon in US

One driver said the rising costs have been immediate.

“I had put in about 60 bucks a few weeks ago and today I just filled up for $85 so luckily I’m in a good place financially but there’s a lot of people where I keep wondering how they’re dealing with all this,” the driver said.

Emily Schmalz reports on fuel prices in El Paso

Another person said the spike is especially concerning for business owners who rely on vehicles to work.

“It is alarming because we obviously there are a lot of people who own their own businesses. You see a lot of personal trucks and things on the road and that’s affecting their bottom line,” the person said.

RECOMMENDED: Rising diesel prices could soon drive up grocery bills in El Paso as shipping costs climb

CBS News business analyst Jill Schlesinger said prolonged higher prices could strain household budgets.

“This is a pressure on people’s households. We already know that a lot of people were feeling the pressure before the war began,” Schlesinger said.

“Let’s say you were spending say 200 bucks a month on gas. It’s not to say that you can’t absorb 250 or even 300 for a month but if this persists for many months, this is a real drag on household finances.”

According to AAA, the highest recorded average price for a regular gallon of gas in El Paso is $4.90. The city hit that record in June 2022.

Sign up to receive the top interesting stories from in and around our community once daily in your inbox.