California gas prices are known to be significantly higher compared to other states in the country. On Thursday, the American Automobile Association (AAA) announced California gas is officially the priciest in the United States.
The average price per gallon in the Golden State is now $4.84. That is up five cents from last week and nearly 40 cents from last month. The average price of gas nationally is about $3.16.
All nine Bay Area counties — except for Solano ($4.96) — are averaging above the $5 mark. The highest average price is located in Sonoma ($5.22).This car model continues dominance in CA sales for third straight year.
Average Gas Prices in CA
- San Francisco: $5.15
- Oakland: $5.04
- San Jose: $5.00
- Sacramento $5.00
- Fresno: $4.84
- Stockton: $4.86
The reason for the latest increase is due to the ongoing repair and maintenance at refineries across the state. Specifically in the Bay Area, the region’s refining capacity is now half of its 2019 levels.
It wasn’t that long ago when gas prices in the country reached a three-year low and California wasn’t home to the most expensive fuel in the nation.
On Dec. 8, 2024, gas prices dipped to a national average of $3.01. In that AAA report, California’s average price per gallon was $4.36, which was the second-most expensive in the country behind Hawaii.
Perhaps the nation-high fuel prices in California have pushed some drivers away from gas burning vehicles. New sales in the state for gasoline cars have dipped slightly in 2024, according to Experian Automotive data published by the California New Car Dealers Association.
About 57 percent of all new car sales in the state last year were gas burning vehicles, according to data. That number is a decrease from about 61 percent in 2023.
California electric vehicle adoption recorded a slight year-to-year increase from 2023 (21.4 percent) to 2024 (22 percent). Last year, the Tesla Model Y was still the most sold new vehicle in California for the third year in a row
About the Author
