Californias Fourth of July gas prices will drain your wallet even more this year

Californians hitting the road for the Fourth of July holiday will be forced to fork over nearly a dollar more for a gallon of gas than last Independence Day.As of Thursday, the average price of regular gas in the state stood at a whopping $5.40 per gallon — compared to just $4.57 a year ago, according to data from the American Automobile Association.To make matters worse, California increased its gas tax just ahead of the holiday per a state law mandating inflation-adjusted increases.

The state’s excise tax on gasoline, at 61.2 cents per gallon, surged to 63.4 cents per gallon on July 1.Golden State gas prices stand far ahead of the national average of $3.84 per gallon.California currently has the second highest gas prices in the nation, sitting only behind Hawaii, according to AAA.The prices have infuriated cash-strapped drivers.

California's top news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.Please provide a valid email.

By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Never miss a story “I felt like I was really starting to catch a breath, you know, it was going down, and I didn’t know about this,” a driver named Zuli, who just paid $60 to fill up at a Los Angeles station, told The California Post of the tax.

“It would be helpful if it wasn’t gonna be going up all the time.”Some California counties are seeing even higher prices.The average cost per gallon in Mono County, which sits at the California-Nevada border, stood at a shocking $6.70 on Thursday.In the Los Angeles-Long Beach area, prices on average sat at $5.41 per gallon, up nearly a dollar from a year ago.

San Francisco residents are paying on average $5.58 when they fill up, much more than the $4.80 a year ago.Gas prices across the nation shot up due to the war in Iran, which has constrained global oil supply.But California’s policies exacerbated the situation, experts said, due to its high...