Florida leads nation in gas price drop

Florida led the nation with a 12-cent drop in the average cost of gas per gallon this past week, according to AAA.

In the AAA’s weekly report released Monday, Florida went from $3.64 last week to $3.52 and now has the 13th least expensive gas in the nation.

In the Gainesville area, prices decreased from $3.68 to $3.58, and nationally the cost went down from $3.95 to $3.90. It marked the ninth straight week prices have fallen.

“Drivers are now benefiting from gas prices that are $1.11 less than their peak in mid-June,” AAA spokesperson Andrew Gross said in a statement. “But now we need to keep an eye on the weather as hurricane season arrives. These storms can affect prices by disrupting oil production in the Gulf of Mexico and impacting large coastal refineries.”

According to gasbuddy.com, the cheapest prices to fill up in Alachua County:  

• $3.39 at Circle K, 15089 NW US 441, Alachua
• $3.43 at Raceway, 15330 NW US 301, Waldo
• $3.45 at The Short Stop, 2610 NE 39^th Ave., Gainesville
• $3.45 at Gate, 3001 NW 13^th St., Gainesville
• $3.45 at Wawa, 2373 Old Archer Rd., Gainesville
• $3.45 at Murphy Express, 6323 NW 13^th St., Gainesville
• $3.46 at Love’s Travel Stop, 5615 SE US 301, Hawthorne
• $3.47 at Raceway, 16171 US 441, Alachua
• $3.50 at Wawa, 1007 E. University Ave., Gainesville

AAA finds that drivers have made significant changes in dealing with the high prices. In a recent survey, nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults driving habits and lifestyles since March that include driving less and combining errands.

The national all-time high of $5.01 per gallon average came on June 14. Florida’s highest average peaked at $4.89 on June 13, while Gainesville hit $4.91 on June 15. 

Quick Stats 

The nation’s top 10 largest weekly decreases: Florida (−12 cents), West Virginia (−11 cents), Maine (−11 cents), New Jersey (−11 cents), Rhode Island (−11 cents), Vermont (−11 cents), Massachusetts (−11 cents), Wyoming (−10 cents), Connecticut (−10 cents) and Mississippi (−10 cents).

The nation’s top 10 least expensive markets: Arkansas ($3.41), Mississippi ($3.43), Georgia ($3.43), Texas ($3.44), Tennessee ($3.44), Louisiana ($3.46), South Carolina ($3.46), Missouri ($3.47), Alabama ($3.47) and Kansas ($3.48).