The cost of gasoline reached an unacceptable level in the Los Angeles area on Tuesday as the price per gallon officially reached the $6 mark, according to the American Automobile Assn.
National gas prices also hit an unexciting peak on Tuesday when they crossed the $4 mark for the first time in nearly four years. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sent prices soaring in 2022, and this time the cost increase is due to Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz – through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes – amid the ongoing war.
Average gas prices at the local and national levels have increased by more than $1 a gallon since the US and Israel began conflict with Iran on Feb 28. And national prices for diesel, the fuel used by many delivery trucks, have seen an even bigger increase, up to $5.45 a gallon from $3.76 before the war began, according to AAA.
Gas stations still have the ability to set their own prices, which means there is a significant difference across the region.
At the other end of the spectrum, the outrageously priced Chevron at the corner of Alameda Street and East Cesar Chavez Avenue in Chinatown costs more than $8.70 a gallon. However, there are also a few stations where gas still costs around $5 a gallon, according to the GasBuddy app.
As of Tuesday, stations with affordable gas in LA County include:
- 76 at 4600 Melrose Ave. in East Hollywood, where gas costs $4.89 a gallon.
- Sinclair at 4590 Melrose Ave. in East Hollywood, $4.97 a gallon.
- Mobil at 730 E. Las Tunas Drive in San Gabriel, $4.99 a gallon.
- American Oil at 6850 Long Beach Blvd. in Long Beach, $5.09 a gallon.
- United Brothers Gas at 502 W. Duarte Road in Monrovia, $5.14 a gallon.
- Circle K at 8609 Garvey Ave. in Rosemead, $5.25 a gallon.
- Arco at 8351 Washington Blvd. in Pico Rivera, $5.29 a liter.
- Arco at 10808 Lakewood Blvd. at Downey, $5.29 a gallon.
Californians may be pulling their hair out over rising oil prices, but for many consumers in Europe, wartime disruptions in oil supplies have caused even more extreme price increases. In Paris, for example, the average price per gallon reached the equivalent of $10.27 this week.
In a statement on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt vowed that “gas prices will drop back to multi-year lows that American drivers enjoyed before this short-term disruption” if the US-Israeli joint military campaign aimed at disabling Iran’s nuclear and missile programs. President Trump said on Tuesday that he expects the United States to end its involvement in the war with Iran within three weeks.
“President Trump remains determined to fully unleash America’s power, lower costs, and put more money back in the pockets of hard-working American families,” Leavitt said.
The increase in fuel prices has led to frustration across the country.
A recent AP-NORC poll found that 45% of American adults are “extremely” or “very” concerned about being able to afford gas in the next few months, up from 30% shortly after Trump won the 2024 presidential election.
The price hike also had political consequences for California oil production, with Trump invoking a Cold War-era law to force a controversial resumption of offshore drilling in the Golden State, citing the need to boost domestic oil production for national security purposes.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
