California gas prices jump, bringing extra pain to the pump for Labor Day weekend
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Southern California gas prices jumped in the days leading up to Labor Day weekend, bringing extra pain to the pump during one of the busier travel periods of the year.
Gas prices have increased by 10 cents or more in the last week across most of Southern California — only the second time this year that the region has seen increases of that magnitude, the Auto Club of Southern California said in a statement Thursday.
“Also, for the first time this year in some Southern California areas, pump prices are higher than they were on this date in 2024,” Auto Club spokesperson Doug Shupe said in a release.
Shupe attributed the increases to unplanned refinery maintenance that spiked wholesale prices last weekend.
The decision by Phillips 66 this week to shutter its refinery in Wilmington next year will wipe out more than 8% of the state’s crude oil processing capacity.
Statewide, the average cost per gallon was $4.59 as of Friday, up nearly 8 cents from a week ago and a jump of 12 cents from last month, according to the American Automobile Assn.
However, prices statewide remain slightly lower than this same time last year — by about 4 cents per gallon.
The average was higher in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area: $4.61 per gallon. That was up about 14 cents from a month ago, and slightly higher than the prices recorded last year.
Along the Central Coast, Santa Barbara saw an increase of 9 cents per gallon over the last week, reaching an average of $4.59. But that was still 9 cents below last year’s average.
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California has the highest average gas price in the country, followed by Hawaii and Washington state.
But while many Angelenos will be hitting the road for the holiday weekend — if they haven’t already — Los Angeles itself is not expected to rank among the top travel destinations this weekend, according to AAA.
Many domestic travelers will make their way to Seattle, Orlando and New York, AAA said in a release last week, as some decide to vacation closer to home with road trips to nearby beaches and national parks.
Nationwide, gas prices on Labor Day are projected to be at $3.15 — which would be the lowest for the holiday since 2020 and just 1 cent below 2021, gasoline price tracker GasBuddy said in a blog post Tuesday.
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