The national average gasoline price increased 4 cents to $2.58 as 2019 comes to a close, a spike attributed to unexpectedly higher road travel during the holidays, according to AAA.
This story originally appeared in Automotive Fleet.
The current price level is the same as a month ago and 31 cents higher than a year ago. The 2019 national gas price average was $2.61, which is 10 cents cheaper than the 2018 average of $2.71.
“The majority of states saw gas prices increase in the last week – some by as much as a nickel to a dime, but any spikes in gas prices that motorists are seeing will be short-lived,” said Jeanette Casselano, AAA spokesperson. “AAA expects gas prices to decrease following the holidays.”
States with the largest weekly increases included Michigan (12 cents), Ohio (9 cents), Indiana (8 cents), Illinois (7 cents), Delaware (7 cents), Texas (6 cents), West Virginia (5 cents), Louisiana (5 cents), North Carolina (5 cents), and Alabama (5 cents).
States with the least expensive markets include Missouri ($2.21), Mississippi ($2.25), Oklahoma ($2.26), Texas ($2.28), Arkansas ($2.28), Louisiana ($2.28), Kansas ($2.28), Alabama ($2.31), South Carolina ($2.32), and Tennessee ($2.32).
Meanwhile, the average price of a gallon of diesel increased 2.8 cents to $3.069, which was 2.1 cents higher than a year ago, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
