Ahead of Memorial Day Weekend, California Gas Prices Drop Slightly

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. – The national average for a gallon of regular remained the same as the previous week at $3.19, welcome news for the record number of drivers heading out of town for the long holiday weekend.

Californians are paying an average of $4.87 for a gallon of gas right now, down five cents from last week. Compared to last Memorial Day weekend’s state average of $5.17, current gas prices are down by 30 cents.

“Gas prices haven’t been this low over Memorial Day since 2021 when the national average was $3.04,” said Doug Johnson, spokesperson, AAA Mountain West Group. “Supply and demand are playing a role in this year’s lower pump prices as crude oil supply is currently surpassing demand.”

In Contra Costa County, a look at costs since February 2025:

May 23: $5.02
May 17: $5.12
May 9 – $5.07
May 2 – $4.88
April 26 – $4.89
April 18 – $4.97
April 11 – $5.08
April 3 – $5.08
March 28 – $4.83
March 21 – $4.75
March 14 – $4.81
March 6 – $4.91
Feb 28 – $5.00
Feb 20 – $5.06
Feb 14 – $5.05
Feb 7 – $4.59

Fuel Prices Around the State:

San Francisco: $5.13
Oakland: $5.05
San Jose: $5.01
Sacramento: $4.99
Fresno: $4.93
Stockton: $4.90

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand decreased from 8.79 million b/d last week to 8.64. Total domestic gasoline supply increased from 224.7 million barrels to 225.5. Gasoline production increased last week, averaging 9.6 million barrels per day.

Oil Market Dynamics

At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, WTI fell 46 cents to settle at $61.57 a barrel. The EIA reports that crude oil inventories increased by 1.3 million barrels from the previous week. At 443.2 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are about 6% below the five-year average for this time of year.

EV Charging

The national average per kilowatt hour of electricity at a public EV charging station stayed the same this past week at 36 cents.

State Stats

Gas

The nation’s top 10 most expensive gasoline markets are California ($4.87), Hawaii ($4.49), Washington ($4.38), Oregon ($3.99), Nevada ($3.93), Alaska ($3.64), Illinois ($3.44), Arizona ($3.37), Idaho ($3.32), and Pennsylvania ($3.31).

The nation’s top 10 least expensive gasoline markets are Mississippi ($2.66), Louisiana ($2.71), Alabama ($2.74), Tennessee ($2.77), Texas ($2.78), Arkansas ($2.80), South Carolina ($2.81), Oklahoma ($2.81), Kentucky ($2.85), and Missouri ($2.87).

Electric

The nation’s top 10 most expensive states for public charging per kilowatt hour are Alaska (51 cents), West Virginia (49 cents), Tennessee (48 cents), Hawaii (46 cents), Montana (45 cents), Louisiana (44 cents), New Hampshire (42 cents), South Carolina (42 cents), Arkansas (42 cents), and Kentucky (42 cents).

The nation’s top 10 least expensive states for public charging per kilowatt hour are Kansas (25 cents), Missouri (27 cents), Maryland (28 cents), Delaware (29 cents), Nebraska (30 cents), Utah (30 cents), Iowa (32 cents), Massachusetts (32 cents), New Mexico (33 cents), and District of Columbia (33 cents).

Find current fuel prices at gasprices.aaa.com. Find local news releases at mwg.aaa.com/news/press-release.

About AAA Mountain West Group
AAA Mountain West Group is a membership and full-service leisure travel organization, proudly serving over 6.7 million Members across Northern California, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Montana, Wyoming, and Alaska. AAA delivers unmatched expertise and value through roadside assistance and electric vehicle (EV) resources, along with comprehensive auto repair, travel, insurance, financial, and home security services. Powered by 5,300 dedicated Team Members, AAA is on a mission to revolutionize solutions that help our Members.

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