WALNUT CREEK, Calif. – The average for a gallon of regular gasoline in California has increased 18 cents to $4.81 since last week. Meanwhile, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline jumped nearly 27 cents since last week to $3.25. The conflict in the Middle East has sent crude oil prices higher to the mid $70/barrel range. The increase puts the national average at the same price as it was in early April of 2025.

“Gas prices typically climb during springtime as gasoline demand rises and summer-blend gasoline production begins,” said Doug Johnson, AAA Northern California spokesperson. “The last time the national average made a similar weekly jump was back in March of 2022 during the start of the Russia/Ukraine conflict.”

Fuel Prices Around the State: 

• San Francisco: $4.98
• Oakland: $4.85
• San Jose: $4.79
• Sacramento: $4.76
• Fresno: $4.71
• Stockton: $4.69

Contra Costa County

• March 6, 2026 – $4.95
• March 5, 2026 –  $4.88
• Feb 27, 2026 – $4.75
• Feb 20, 2026 – $4.73
• Feb 13, 2026 – $4.70
• Feb 6, 2026 – $4.50
• Jan 30, 2026 – $4.39
• Jan 16, 2026 – $4.23
• Jan 9, 2026 – $4.23
• Dec. 19, 2025 –  $4.31

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand decreased last week from 8.73 million b/d to 8.29 million. Total domestic gasoline supply decreased from 254.8 million barrels to 253.1 million. Gasoline production increased last week, averaging 9.3 million barrels per day.

Tips for Saving Gas

• Plan Your Trips: Map fuel-efficient routes using navigation apps to minimize unnecessary turnarounds and backtracking. Combine errands and avoid peak traffic times to reduce drive time.
• Avoid Speeding: Fuel economy peaks at around 50 mph on most cars, then drops off as speeds increase. Driving the recommended speed limit can increase fuel economy between 7 and 14 percent.
• Avoid Excessive Idling: When idling, car engines use up to one-half gallons of fuel per hour. Warm engines take about 10 seconds worth of fuel to restart. Shut off your engine when stopped for more than a minute and if it’s safe to do so.
• Check Tire Pressure and Align Tires: Maintaining proper tire pressure reduces your tire’s friction with the road. Less friction means less energy is needed to move, resulting in using less gas. Proper inflation can improve gas mileage by 0.6 percent on average.

Oil Market Dynamics

At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, WTI rose 10 cents to settle at $74.66 a barrel. The EIA reports crude oil inventories increased by 3.5 million barrels from the previous week. At 439.3 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are about 3% 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 at 39 cents. In California, it’s 42 cents.

State Stats

Gas

The nation’s top 10 most expensive gasoline markets are California ($4.81), Washington ($4.44), Hawaii ($4.43), Oregon ($4.04), Nevada ($3.87), Alaska ($3.72), Arizona ($3.58), Illinois ($3.36), Pennsylvania ($3.35), and Michigan ($3.27).

The nation’s top 10 least expensive gasoline markets are Oklahoma ($2.79), Mississippi ($2.81), Kansas ($2.83), Tennessee ($2.84), Texas ($2.87), Arkansas ($2.90), Louisiana ($2.90), Wyoming ($2.90), North Dakota ($2.91), and Missouri ($2.92).

Electric

The nation’s top 10 most expensive states for public charging per kilowatt hour are West Virginia (52 cents), Hawaii (50 cents), Alaska (48 cents), Louisiana (47 cents), South Carolina (44 cents), New Hampshire (44 cents), New Jersey (43 cents), California (42 cents), Idaho (42 cents), and Tennessee (41 cents).

The nation’s top 10 least expensive states for public charging per kilowatt hour are Kansas (25 cents), Wyoming (27 cents), Missouri (28 cents), Nebraska (30 cents), Utah (31 cents), Iowa (32 cents), Vermont (32 cents), Maryland (33 cents), New Mexico (33 cents), and Colorado (34 cents).

Drivers can find current gas and electric charging prices along their route using the AAA Mobile App, now available on CarPlay. 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 6.8 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.

Previous

• Feb 27 – AAA: California Seeing Seasonal Shift Toward Rising Gas Prices
• Feb 20 – AAA: Pump Prices Holding Steady For Now
• Feb 13 – AAA: Gas Prices Tick Up Heading into Holiday Weekend