The cost of gasoline hit an unwelcome benchmark in the Los Angeles area on Tuesday as the average price per gallon officially reached the $6 mark, according to the American Automobile Assn.
National gas prices also hit an unpleasant peak Tuesday when they surpassed the $4 mark for the first time in nearly four years. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last sent prices spiking in 2022, and this time the steady uptick in cost is due to Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz — through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes — amid the ongoing war.
Average gas prices at a local and national level have increased by more than a $1 a gallon since the U.S. and Israel initiated the conflict with Iran on Feb 28. And average national prices for diesel, the fuel used by most delivery trucks, has seen an even larger increase, up to $5.45 a gallon from around $3.76 before the war began, according to AAA.
Gas stations still have the ability to set their own price per gallon, meaning there is a significant range in prices seen across the region.
On the high end of the spectrum, the infamously expensive Chevron on the corner of Alameda Street and East Cesar Chavez Avenue in Chinatown is charging more than $8.70 a gallon. However, there are also several stations where gas still costs around $5 a gallon, according to the app GasBuddy.
As of Tuesday, the stations with more palatably priced gas in L.A. County include:
- The 76 at 4600 Melrose Ave. in East Hollywood, where gas costs $4.89 a gallon.
- The Sinclair at 4590 Melrose Ave. in East Hollywood, $4.97 a gallon.
- The Mobil at 730 E. Las Tunas Drive in San Gabriel, $4.99 a gallon.
- The American Oil at 6850 Long Beach Blvd. in Long Beach, $5.09 a gallon.
- The United Brothers Gas at 502 W. Duarte Road in Monrovia, $5.14 a gallon.
- The Circle K at 8609 Garvey Ave. in Rosemead, $5.25 a gallon.
- The Arco at 8351 Washington Blvd. in Pico Rivera, $5.29 a gallon.
- The Arco at 10808 Lakewood Blvd. in Downey, $5.29 a gallon.
Californians may be pulling their hair out over the uptick in oil costs, but for many consumers in European countries, wartime disruptions in oil supplies have resulted in even more extreme price surges. In Paris, for example, the average price per gallon hit the equivalent of $10.27 this week.
In a Tuesday statement, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt vowed that “gas prices will plummet back to the multi-year lows American drivers enjoyed before these short-term disruptions” once the U.S.-Israel joint military campaign aimed at crippling Iran’s nuclear and missile programs is complete. President Trump said Tuesday that he expected the United States to end its involvement in the war with Iran within three weeks.
“President Trump remains committed to fully unleashing American energy dominance, lowering costs, and putting more money back in the pockets of hardworking American families,” Leavitt said.
The steady uptick in gasoline prices has led to frustration across the country.
A recent AP-NORC poll found that 45% of U.S. 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 surge also has had political ramifications for oil production in California, with President Trump invoking a Cold War-era law to force the controversial resumption of offshore drilling in the Golden State, citing the need to bolster domestic oil production for national security purposes.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
