California gas prices reach highest mark in years as last oil shipment from Strait of Hormuz arrives
California gas prices reached their highest mark since 2023 as the last oil shipment from the Strait of Hormuz arrived at a Los Angeles County port.
Currently, California drivers are paying an average of just over $6 a gallon for regular gas, the highest prices in the country, according to GasBuddy.
The state receives roughly 30% of its foreign crude oil from the Persian Gulf. The oil tanker named the New Corolla delivered the last of the 2 million barrels of crude, leaving a bit of uncertainty about how the final shipment will affect gas prices heading into summer, according to GasBuddy analyst Patrick de Haan.
"It would probably lead to gasoline that rises from $6.50 to $7 a gallon," De Haan said. "It could lead to diesel that is approaching $8.50 or $9, and it could be restrictive for some airlines."
De Haan also warned that even if the Strait of Hormuz reopened tomorrow, prices wouldn't go down overnight.
"That would put us at 64 weeks, which would put us, I believe, into June or July of 2027," De Haan said.
He said commuters can slow down, combine trips, use apps to find the cheapest gas and pay with a rewards card to save some money, but there isn't much else that will ease the financial burden.
"There's not really any magic to bite the bullet here. This is going to be painful," De Haan said.