California gas prices hit $5.50 a gallon amid surge. Where to find lowest costs
Gas prices are climbing across California, with the average cost of a gallon of gasoline rising about 30 cents in the past week, according to AAA.
While gas demand typically increases this time of year as warmer weather brings more drivers onto the road, the automobile association said, global events are also playing a role.
“The conflict in the Middle East has sent crude oil prices higher,” AAA said in a recent news release.
Here’s what California drivers can expect to pay at the pump:
What are current gas prices in California?
“Current prices are similar to the spring of 2024,” AAA said in a Thursday, March 12, news release.
As of Monday, March 16, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in California was about $5.52, according to AAA.
That’s 15 cents higher than Thursday, March 12, when the average price was $5.37 per gallon.
Just a week earlier, California drivers were paying about $5.20 per gallon per gallon, roughly 30 cents less than current prices.
Around this time in 2025, the statewide average was about $4.65 per gallon.
For comparison, the highest average price for regular gas in California was $6.44 in June 2022. Diesel peaked at $7.01 that same month.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration previously predicted that gas prices in 2026 would be about 6% lower than in 2025, but recent global events have changed that outlook, according to AAA spokesperson Doug Johnson.
Iran war causes crude oil, gas prices to rise
Gas prices across the country, including in California, have risen in recent days as tensions with Iran escalate, according to AAA.
Even though the United States does not import oil from Iran, Johnson said, the conflict can still affect global supply.
The war with Iran has pushed crude oil prices higher, which directly affects what drivers pay at the pump because crude oil is the main ingredient used to make gasoline and diesel.
About half of the price for gasoline comes from the cost of crude oil, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
“Crude oil prices play a major role in what drivers pay at the pump, and prices have surpassed the $100/barrel mark multiple times in recent days,” AAA said.
As of Monday, March 16, crude oil was hovering around $100 per barrel, according to Business Insider.
While “a large majority” of the jump in prices has been a result of the conflict in the Middle East, Johnson said, the annual switch to summer-blend gasoline and refinery shutdowns are also pushing prices higher in California.
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How much does gas cost in my California city?
As of Monday, stations in several California cities were selling regular gas for less than the statewide average of $5.52 a gallon.
While the most expensive gas prices can be primarily found in the Bay Area, Northern California had some of the cheapest fuel costs, with a gallon of regular gas averaging $5.22 in Yuba City and $5.28 in Redding.
As of Monday, these were the average prices per gallon for regular gas at metropolitan areas around California:
- Bakersfield: $5.45 per gallon
- Chico-Paradise: $5.34
- El Centro: $5.28
- Fresno: $5.45
- Hanford-Corcoran: $5.36
- Los Angeles-Long Beach: $5.62
- Madera-Chowchila: $5.51
- Merced: $5.40
- Modesto: $5.34
- Napa: $5.71
- Oakland: $5.56
- Orange County: $5.57
- Redding: $5.28
- Riverside: $5.50
- Sacramento: $5.44
- Salinas: $5.63
- San Bernardino: $5.50
- San Diego: $5.58
- San Francisco: $5.69
- San Jose: $5.53
- San Luis Obispo-Atascadero-Paso Robles: $5.65
- San Rafael: $5.70
- Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Lompoc: $5.42
- Santa Cruz-Watsonville: $5.43
- Santa Rosa: $5.68
- Stockton-Lodi: $5.37
- Vallejo-Fairfield: $5.48
- Ventura: $5.55
- Visalia-Tulare-Porterville: $5.45
- Yolo: $5.37
- Yuba City: $5.22
Find cheapest gas stations in my area
GasBuddy is a price-tracking website designed to help motorists find the cheapest gas prices in their areas.
You can search for the most affordable gas stations in your area on the GasBuddy website.
