California gas hits $6.14

AAA said on May 21 that California’s average price for a gallon of regular gasoline reached $6.14 as Memorial Day travel began, the highest statewide holiday-weekend level since 2022. The national average was $4.56 the same day, according to AAA, putting California far above the rest of the country as millions of drivers headed onto the roads. The Auto Club of Southern California said this would be the most expensive Memorial Day weekend on record for Southern California drivers. AAA and local Auto Club officials tied the run-up to stronger seasonal demand and the prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz. ### Why is California so much higher than the national average? California entered the holiday weekend at $6.14 a gallon, while the U.S. average stood at $4.56, according to AAA’s May 21 fuel update. That gap of about $1.58 shows how much more exposed California drivers are when crude and refined fuel costs rise nationally. AAA’s California tracker and NBC Bay Area both reported the state had the highest average gasoline price in the country. (gasprices.aaa.com) Southern California prices were also above prior holiday peaks. The Auto Club of Southern California said drivers were paying 10 to 15 cents more per gallon than during the previous most expensive Memorial Day holiday in 2022. In Northern California, AAA data cited by local outlets showed city averages above $6 in San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Sacramento and Fresno. (gasprices.aaa.com) ### What is pushing pump prices up right now? AAA said on May 21 that gasoline demand was rising at the same time that the Strait of Hormuz remained closed, a combination it said was likely to keep pump prices elevated as the summer travel season began. Yahoo Finance and Quartz, citing AAA, also reported that the closure was a key driver behind the latest national increase. (news.aaa-calif.com) Patrick De Haan, GasBuddy’s head of petroleum analysis, said in a post cited by USA Today and AOL that U.S. gas prices could average $4.80 this summer if the strait remains closed. Forbes, also citing De Haan, reported that prices could fall within days if the waterway reopens, though not necessarily back to pre-war levels for months. (gasprices.aaa.com) ### Are people canceling Memorial Day road trips? AAA projected that about 45 million Americans would travel at least 50 miles over the Memorial Day period, including roughly 39 million by car. In California alone, NBC Bay Area reported that nearly 6 million people were expected to travel to and within the state between Thursday and Monday. (bluewaterhealthyliving.com) The travel numbers show that higher gasoline prices did not stop holiday driving. But local and national reports said fuel costs were changing how people planned those trips. USA Today reported that analysts expected higher pump prices to squeeze summer travel budgets, while local California coverage focused on shorter drives and closer destinations as travelers tried to limit fuel spending. (mwg.aaa.com) ### How unusual are these prices for Memorial Day? AAA said the national average of $4.56 made this the most expensive Memorial Day weekend for gasoline in four years. The agency said current U.S. prices were close to the $4.61 national average recorded on Memorial Day four years earlier. California’s statewide average was still below its all-time peak. (usatoday.com) USA Today, citing AAA data, reported that the May 21 average of $6.14 was $1.26 higher than a year earlier but 27 cents below the state’s October 2022 record. That means drivers were paying near-peak prices again even without setting a new statewide high. (gasprices.aaa.com) ### What should drivers watch next? AAA updates its gas-price tracker daily, and the Auto Club of Southern California publishes regular fuel reports that will show whether prices retreat after the holiday travel rush. GasBuddy analysts have said the next major variable is the Strait of Hormuz: if shipping disruptions persist, summer averages could move higher; if they ease, pump prices could start to fall within days. (bluewaterhealthyliving.com) (gasbuddy.com)