Florida gas prices increase, surge 10 cents from March
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Florida drivers might be feeling a little extra pain at the pump after state gas prices climbed by a dime from last month, according to AAA.
Month-over-Month, the average price for a gallon of gas in Florida increased from $3.52 to $3.62. The price also was stubbornly higher in south and southwest Florida, with gas prices mostly above the state average.
Palm Beach County recorded the highest gas price at $3.80. Adjacent Broward County stood at $3.67 while nearby Collier County sat at $3.72. Ironically, the area’s lowest gas price was $3.61 in Miami-Dade County, well below the state average.
Hillsborough County, home to Tampa, recorded an average price of $3.65. Florida’s other principle cities, including Orlando in Orange County, held an average price $3.62. Jacksonville, in Duval County, remained a tad lower than the state average at $3.60
For drivers looking for relief, Florida’s western panhandle is the best place for gas. In Bay County, the average price was $3.29, nearly 40 cents below the state average. Escambia County, Florida’s westernmost area, held a low price of $3.33.
For penny savers, Florida’s next-door neighbor, Alabama, recorded an average price of $3.29. Other southeast states also logged low prices, including Georgia at $3.43 and Mississippi at 3.11.
On the bright side, Florida gas prices remained lower than the national average of $3.68. On a different stratosphere, California held the highest average price in the country at a whopping $5.45.
In Mono County, located along the Nevada border, the price of gas was $6.44. Areas along California’s coast, including Los Angeles and San Diego counties, also held prices above $5.39.
“The West Coast has been seeing some pretty potent price increases here in the last week or so, because of refinery maintenance that is still happening and will continue to happen,” Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy said.
In New York, the average price for gas stood at $3.65, three cents below the national average. New Jersey an Connecticut also recorded lower than national averages of $3.56 and $3.66, respectively.
While lower, gas prices are expected to increase for drivers in the Tri-state and Mid-Atlantic. While threats of war between Iran and Israel rage on, any immediate surge is being attributed to stations switching to a more expensive gasoline blend for the summer months.
“This week happens to be a transitional week where a bunch of very populous states: New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New England, and some others, all switch to the summer gasoline blend, which is about 30 cents more expensive,” Tom Kloza, global head of energy analysis at the Oil Price Information Service said.
Kloza added some places in the Northeast could hit $4 a gallon, along with the national average going up to $3.75 before receding.
