Gainesville area sees 8-cent jump in prices at pump

Gas prices shot up throughout the country over the past week with the Gainesville area seeing an eight-cent jump.

According to Thursday’s AAA weekly gas report, following a slow week that saw only a one-cent increase between Feb. 21-28, the average price per gallon went from $3.39 to $3.47. In Florida, the average cost per gallon jumped 10 cents from $3.36 to $3.46 and, nationally, the cost went from $3.31 to $3.39.  

“Spring is nearly here, with longer days, better weather, and more opportunities to hit the road,” said Andrew Gross, AAA spokesperson, in the press release. “And we are seeing this reflected in rising gasoline demand. But remember, we see this trend every year.”

The cost per barrel of oil is another likely culprit, according to AAA, as the price is nearing $80, which is $10 more than a few months ago.

The latest data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows gas demand jumped from 8.47 to 9.01 million barrels per day (b/d) last week. The total domestic gasoline stocks tightened by 4.5 million barrels of crude oil (bbl) to 239.7 million bbl. The tighter supply and growing demand have pushed the gas prices higher.

Thursday’s national average of $3.39 is 25 cents more than last month’s $3.14. Last year, the price was at $3.41.

Florida has the 10th most expensive price per gallon nationally at $3.46. Last month, gas was $3.18 per gallon and last year it was $3.27 statewide.  

In the Gainesville area, last month’s price was $3.25 per gallon, and last year it was $3.30.

According to gasbuddy.com, here are the lowest prices to fill up in Alachua County: 

• $3.28 at Chevron, 830 NW 1^st St., High Springs
• $3.29 at Love’s Travel Stop, 5615 SE US 301, Hawthorne
• $3.29 at Sunoco, 610 NE 1^st Ave., High Springs
• $3.29 at Pilot, 17276 US 301, Waldo
• $3.29 at Chevron, 401 N. Main St., High Springs
• $3.29 at Shell, 905 S. Main St., High Springs
• $3.34 at Pure, 405 NE 1^st, High Springs

Quick Stats

Since last Thursday, these 10 states have seen the largest increases in their averages: Ohio (+28 cents), Missouri (+27 cents), Kansas (+23 cents), North Dakota (+21 cents), Arizona (+17 cents), Oklahoma (+15 cents), Montana (+15 cents), Michigan (+14 cents), California (+12 cents) and Nebraska (+12 cents).

The nation’s top 10 most expensive markets: California ($4.86), Hawaii ($4.71), Washington ($4.16), Nevada ($4.09), Oregon ($3.89), Illinois ($3.75), Alaska ($3.66), Arizona ($3.58), Pennsylvania ($3.54) and Washington, DC ($3.48).