California gas prices skyrocket as average price rises more than 40 cents in a week
California's average regular gas price has risen more than 40 cents in the last week, according to the American Automobile Association, coinciding with a sharp nationwide increase amid the start of war in Iran.
The AAA says that as of Saturday, the average price per one gallon of regular fuel is $5.078, up 43.5 cents from last Saturday's average of $4.643. The rise is much more aggressive for diesel, which rose 70 cents in one week, settling at $5.808 per gallon on Saturday.
Going back one month, the average for regular fuel rose 63 cents.
California is the only state with an average regular fuel price above $5, but the state's spike met the pace of the national rise over the last week, also at 43 cents. The national average was $3.413 as of Saturday, according to AAA.
According to reporting from Aimee Picchi of CBS MoneyWatch, the national regular average on Thursday was at its highest point since August 2024.
CBS MoneyWatch's Mary Cunningham spoke to Patrick De Haan, a petroleum expert at GasBuddy, who said the U.S. is losing access to around 20 million barrels of oil supply a day after Iran stalled shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
"Nothing can replace that," he said.
Local increases
Several markets across California saw increases higher than the state's over the last week. They include:
- Bakersfield: 45 cents
- Los Angeles - Long Beach: 47 cents
- Orange County: 52 cents
- Riverside: 51 cents
- San Diego: 46 cents