Ouch! Southern California Gas Prices Climb Into Record Territory
20 September 2000
Ouch! Southern California Gas Prices Climb Into Record Territory
LOS ANGELES--Sept. 19, 2000--Southern California fuel prices have soared to record levels according to the Automobile Club of Southern California.The price for a gallon of regular unleaded fuel is $1.81, up from $1.66 in August. The state average is even higher at $1.86. This is the highest price since the Auto Club began monitoring state fuel prices in 1991.
Worse still is Northern California where the average price for regular gasoline has reached $1.98. San Francisco drivers pay an average of $2.07 a gallon, while the average is $1.94 in Sacramento and $1.80 in Las Vegas.
Nationally, average fuel prices for regular unleaded gasoline rose nearly eight cents in the past month to $1.58 a gallon.
California owns dubious crown for most expensive gasoline in 48 states. Only Hawaii has a higher state average at $1.92 per gallon.
Despite assurances that the OPEC cartel will increase production, geopolitical rumblings, continued demand, low refinery inventories and price speculation have driven the price of crude oil to more than $37 per barrel.
In Southern California, the averages for regular and premium grades of gasoline are listed below:
County Unl Pre Imperial County El Centro 2.132 2.249 Inyo County Bishop 2.179 2.229 Kern County Bakersfield 1.913 2.086 Ridgecrest 1.954 2.126 Los Angeles County Alhambra 1.659 1.849 Arcadia 1.743 1.859 Burbank 1.688 1.909 Culver City 1.765 1.949 Glendale 1.705 1.876 Glendora 1.732 1.859 Inglewood 1.720 1.869 Lancaster 1.784 1.949 Long Beach 1.719 1.900 Los Angeles 1.728 1.917 Manhattan Beach 1.765 1.917 Montebello 1.748 1.934 Santa Monica 1.750 1.989 Van Nuys 1.677 1.845 Whittier 1.721 1.889 Woodland Hills 1.727 1.900 Orange County Anaheim 1.692 1.847 Fullerton 1.709 1.864 Huntington Beach 1.676 1.825 La Habra 1.684 1.809 Laguna Beach 1.808 1.938 Newport Beach 1.788 1.959 San Clemente 1.859 2.069 Tustin 1.729 1.894 Riverside County Blythe 2.081 2.197 Hemet 1.797 1.879 Palm Springs 1.839 1.999 Riverside 1.706 1.825 San Bernardino County Redlands 1.744 1.939 San Bernardino 1.742 1.887 Victorville 1.716 1.853 San Diego County Chula Vista 1.890 2.079 Del Mar 1.914 2.099 Escondido 1.854 1.999 Oceanside 1.853 2.099 San Diego 1.870 2.023 San Luis Obispo County San Luis Obispo 1.849 1.966 Santa Barbara County Lompoc 1.823 1.974 Santa Barbara 1.973 2.124 Santa Maria 1.867 1.914 Tulare County 1.837 1.972 Porterville 2.068 2.329 Visalia 2.053 2.189 Ventura County Ventura 1.858 2.039 So. Calif. Average 1.814 1.973
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.
