Washington drivers are welcoming the start of summer with a not-so-welcome sight: the highest gas prices in the United States. According to AAA, the average price of a gallon of normal gasoline in Washington state rose by 32 cents in the past month, reaching $4.93. That’s 7 cents cheaper than in California, a state infamous for its high pricing, especially on gasoline.
This pattern is not typical. GasBuddy’s head of petroleum analysis, Patrick De Haan, says that for the better part of the previous few years, California has held the unenviable title of America’s most costly state for gas. According to information compiled by GasBuddy dating back to 2005, Washington has never been the most expensive state for gas until recently.
It’s also the first time the Pacific Northwest state has ever outranked both California and Hawaii over that time period. Gas stations in the vicinity of major California cities continue to charge above-average prices despite Washington having the highest average price. According to AAA, eight of the ten cities with the highest average gas prices in the United States are in the Golden State.
The following tweet confirms the story about California being the most expensive state in the US for gas:
Meanwhile, California has been dethroned as America’s most expensive state for gas.https://t.co/LrlYlkUxXZ
— FOX5 Las Vegas (@FOX5Vegas) June 21, 2023
However, some Washington motorists pay more over $5 a gallon. According to AAA, the average price of a gallon of standard gas in King County, where Seattle is located, is $5.09. Skamania County, Washington, has an average gas price of $5.32 a gallon. When compared to Mississippi, where gas costs an average of $3.01 per gallon, Washington state’s prices are nearly $2 more expensive.
Even in Washington, where the average was $5.54 a gallon on the first day of summer in 2016, gas prices have dropped significantly for the majority of Americans. Regular gas costs $3.58 per gallon on average in the United States, down $1.39 from this time last year. This decline is a result of the Federal Reserve’s anti-inflation efforts and the subsequent fall in oil prices.
The national average price of gasoline reached a record high of $5.02 a gallon in June of last year as a direct result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. According to AAA, Delaware has the lowest average gas price in the US, down by $1.61 per gallon over the past year.
If you follow us on Facebook and use the notification option, you can be among the first to know about developing stories as they unfold
If you’re looking for something interesting to read, you might want to check out the links below:
- NYPD Cop Suspended Without Pay After Child Porn Possession Charges On
- A USPS Worker on the Dallas Route May Have Died From Heat-related Illness
