California drivers continue to face sticker shock at the gas pump as they are paying the highest average price per gallon in the nation.
Motorists are paying on average 58 cents more for a gallon of regular gas than they did three weeks ago, as the statewide average price reached a national high of $5.28 Sunday in response to rising crude prices. That is $1.28 higher per gallon than the national average.
Bay Area drivers are paying from an average of $5.28 a gallon in Santa Cruz County, according to the Automobile Association of America (AAA), to $5.46 a gallon in Napa County.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
Gas prices in the Stockton and Lodi area follow the trend and were up almost 10 cents a gallon overnight, according to the Automobile Association of America.
The area's gas prices on Saturday were $5.11 for regular gas and $5.37 for premium, and as of Sunday the price had risen to $5.19 a gallon for regular and $5.48 for premium.
Just a week ago drivers in the Stockton and Lodi areas were paying $4.70, and a month ago saw prices of $4.52 a gallon.
The state average was $4.68 in early February and $3.47 a year ago.
The national average one year ago was $2.50. Average prices for regular gasoline per gallon in other regional counties:
- $5.42, San Francisco
- $5.43, Sonoma
- $5.40, San Mateo
- $5.45, Marin
- $5.23, San Benito
- $5.26, Monterey
- $5.33, Santa Clara
- $5.35, Alameda
- $5.32, Contra Costa
- $5.32, Solano
Drivers looking for low prices often turn to GasBuddy.com, which on Sunday listed the lowest Bay Area price at $4.25 a gallon at the Berryessa Road Safeway in San Jose.
Lowest gas prices in San Joaquin County include: $4.59 ARCO & AMPM, 2056 Crestwood Ave. in Manteca, and $4.69 at ARCO & AMPM, 2430 Joe Pombo Parkway in Tracy; and $4.73 at the ARCO & AMPM, 85 E. Louise Ave. in Lathrop.
Bay City News writer Victoria Franco contributed to this report.
