LA Auto Club: Monthly Average Gas Price Drops 18 Cents
LOS ANGELES--Dec. 14, 2004--While Southern California's average price for regular gasoline dropped more than 18 cents during the past month, it is still 49 cents higher than last December, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California monthly Fuel Gauge Report.The Southern California December average price for regular self-serve unleaded gasoline is $2.192 compared to a Nov. 16, 2004 average of $2.374 and a year-ago average of $1.699. Statewide, the average price for December is $2.161, down from $2.355 in November.
"Fuel prices that peaked in late October have been creeping down since then," said Auto Club spokeswoman Carol Thorp. "However they aren't anywhere near the average prices that we saw last year at this time. The primary reason for higher prices is that while crude prices have been declining, they're still averaging about $10 per barrel more than last December. As long as California refineries continue to run smoothly we can expect pump prices to continue declining for the rest of the year."
The lowest average price in Southern California is in Escondido, where regular is selling for $2.068. Blythe reported the state's highest average price at $2.453. Marysville in Northern California had the lowest price in the state at $1.946. Nationally, the average price is $1.84 down from $1.96 in November.
In Southern California, the averages for regular and premium grades of gasoline are listed below:
County/City Unl Unl Pre Pre
12-14 11-16 12-14 11-16
Imperial County
El Centro 2.269 2.442 2.530 2.703
Inyo County
Bishop N/A 2.476 N/A 2.686
Kern County
Bakersfield 2.116 2.321 2.255 2.369
Ridgecrest 2.172 2.319 2.372 2.519
Los Angeles County
Alhambra 2.115 2.293 2.299 2.399
Arcadia 2.159 2.336 2.386 2.479
Burbank 2.177 2.340 2.319 2.524
Culver City 2.344 2.432 2.644 2.732
Glendale 2.195 2.350 2.409 2.514
Glendora 2.075 2.307 2.319 2.559
Inglewood 2.137 2.334 2.372 2.519
Lancaster 2.127 2.317 2.359 2.564
Long Beach 2.157 2.353 2.378 2.596
Los Angeles 2.203 2.370 2.411 2.553
Manhattan Beach 2.182 2.376 2.239 2.619
Montebello 2.161 2.339 2.359 2.569
Santa Clarita 2.194 2.357 2.355 2.517
Santa Monica 2.279 2.401 2.587 2.709
Van Nuys 2.099 2.292 2.316 2.506
Whittier 2.163 2.333 2.247 2.339
Woodland Hills 2.178 2.332 2.349 2.479
Orange County
Anaheim 2.090 2.281 2.235 2.449
Fullerton 2.101 2.294 2.312 2.498
Huntington Beach 2.092 2.287 2.319 2.523
La Habra 2.099 2.281 2.312 2.489
Laguna Beach 2.251 2.489 2.309 2.547
Newport Beach 2.261 2.401 2.506 2.619
San Clemente 2.197 2.411 2.369 2.582
Tustin 2.195 2.384 2.394 2.599
Riverside County
Blythe 2.453 2.506 2.509 2.654
Hemet 2.179 2.354 2.424 2.599
Palm Springs 2.366 2.466 2.424 2.524
Riverside 2.149 2.354 2.321 2.540
San Bernardino County
Redlands 2.142 2.417 2.309 2.779
San Bernardino 2.158 2.367 2.349 2.619
Victorville 2.191 2.347 2.386 2.562
San Diego County
Chula Vista 2.191 2.446 2.454 2.619
Del Mar 2.179 2.399 2.359 2.559
Escondido 2.068 2.265 2.319 2.519
Oceanside 2.192 2.379 2.450 2.624
San Diego 2.227 2.397 2.466 2.601
San Luis Obispo County
San Luis Obispo 2.259 2.429 2.342 2.512
Santa Barbara County
Lompoc 2.336 2.542 2.545 2.751
Santa Barbara 2.306 2.490 2.499 2.669
Santa Maria 2.301 2.474 2.526 2.699
Tulare County
Porterville 2.203 N/A 2.342 N/A
Visalia 2.189 2.391 2.332 2.579
Ventura County
Ventura 2.134 2.306 2.359 2.512
So. Calif. Avg 2.192 2.374 2.382 2.568
The Auto Club's Fuel Gauge Report is based on data gathered from monitoring fuel transactions at 2,800 Southern California gas stations. Oil Price Information Service -- the nation's most comprehensive source of petroleum pricing information, provides the data.
