California gas prices are not the highest in the nation
California drivers gearing up to hit the road for summer vacations need to be ready to shell out major cash for gas. But they can take some solace in knowing others actually have it worse for a change.
In a rare turn of events, California’s average gas price of $4.797 Thursday was not the highest in the nation. That distinction belongs to Washington, where it costs $4.871 per gallon to fill up, according to data provided by GasBuddy.
Washington’s prices outpacing California’s was a surprise to the experts.
“Going back to 2005, I've never seen Washington have the top price in the nation. California tends to be due to its stringent blend, high taxes, and few refineries,” wrote Patrick De Haan, GasBuddy's head of petroleum analysis, in an email to SFGATE.
De Haan told the East Bay Times that California drivers have been saddled with the most expensive gas in the country 95% of the time over the past few years.
Washington's average gas price overtook California's on Sunday, June 18, according to GasBuddy, and has continued to rise since then.
Average gas prices in both California and Washington were far outpacing the national average of $3.554 per gallon Thursday and were close to $2 per gallon more expensive than the country’s cheapest state for gas, Mississippi at $2.983.
“The West Coast tends to be highest due to taxes (California and now Washington have Cap & Trade), requirements for special blends, and the West Coast is somewhat cut off due to the Rockies from refineries elsewhere,” De Haan wrote.
While still expensive, California prices are down considerably from this time last year, when the state’s average was recorded at $6.373 per gallon.
The most expensive gas in California on Thursday was in remote Mono County at $5.799 per gallon, according to GasBuddy. Prices in the San Francisco Bay Area were hovering between $4.75 and $4.97. The average Los Angeles County price was $4.868.
De Haan did not expect Washington to continue to have the most expensive gas permanently, telling SFGATE that certain refinery issues have pushed Washington’s price up, but those issues may not hold long term.
Source: SFGATE
