The national average price for regular gas decreased again on Wednesday to $4.108 per gallon. It was the fifth day since April 10 that gas prices nationwide have dropped, according to AAA.
Fuel costs on Wednesday dropped one cent per gallon from Tuesday, a modest but welcome decrease. Additionally, Wednesday’s national average price was less expensive than a week ago, when regular gas cost $4.164 per gallon. It was the first time the average gas price from a week ago was more expensive than the current prices since February. Prices remain higher than a month ago, when a gallon of regular gas cost $3.699. Today’s prices are also higher than a year ago when gas was $3.173 per gallon.
Since gas hit $2.79 per gallon on Jan. 12, a five-year low, prices have gradually increased. Initially, winter weather nationwide was blamed for the rise in fuel costs, as snowstorms in January and February disrupted oil refinery operations and production, contributing to the hikes. However, fuel prices began to soar when Operation Epic Fury began on Feb. 29. During the first week of March, a gallon of regular gas increased to $2.984. By March 31, the national average price for regular gas rose to $4.018 per gallon.
Regardless of the fluctuation of national highs and lows, fuel costs do vary depending on the section of the country. The lowest prices are currently found in Midwestern states, while the highest gas prices in the nation are in the states along the Pacific coast and in the western part of the country.
Oklahoma has the nation’s lowest gas prices, at $3.444 per gallon. Kansas is next at $3.507 per gallon. North Dakota has the next-lowest gas prices in the nation, with a statewide average of $3.616 per gallon. This is followed by Nebraska at $3.628 per gallon and then Iowa at $3.646.
California remains the state with the highest statewide average gas price in the country, at $5.878 per gallon. This is followed by Hawaii at $5.651 per gallon. Next is Washington state at $5.391, and then Oregon at $4.995. Nevada rounds out the top five with a cost of $4.963 per gallon.
Click here to see the average prices for a gallon of regular gas in and around Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Gas prices in the nation’s capital are more expensive than the national average with a cost on Wednesday of $4.291. This was a slight drop from Tuesday’s average of $4.295. Prices have held steady over the last seven days, as a week ago, gas in the district was $4.296. A month ago, fuel costs were much lower in Washington, D.C., at $3.702 per gallon.
Maryland
Fuel prices in Maryland dropped to $4.102 per gallon on Wednesday. This was a one-cent decrease from Tuesday, when gas was $4.112. A week ago, the statewide average in Maryland was $4.197 per gallon. As in every state, gas prices in Maryland were significantly lower a month ago, when the state’s average price was $3.603 per gallon.
Delaware
Gas prices in Delaware were lower than the national average on Wednesday, at a cost of $3.972 per gallon. A week ago, gas in Delaware was about 7 cents higher, with a statewide average of $4.047. A month ago, the average price for a gallon of regular gas in Delaware was only $3.397.
Virginia
The average price for a gallon of regular gas in Virginia on Wednesday is $3.973, cheaper than the national average and less expensive than Washington, D.C. Gas prices in Virginia decreased from a week ago, when gas was $4.076 per gallon. Fuel costs in the state were also significantly cheaper than a month ago, when a gallon of regular gas was $3.489.