Map shows startling swing in gas prices by county across California and where cheapest stations are
California drivers are getting a painful reminder that where they fill up can matter almost as much as what they drive.The state average for regular gasoline stood at $5.593 a gallon Sunday, according to AAA, putting California about $1.58 above the $4.012 national average.A county-by-county look at the latest available figures shows a patchwork of prices, with some inland communities offering considerably cheaper gas while motorists along the Central Coast and in parts of the Bay Area are paying well above average.The best bargain in the supplied data was Yuba City, where regular gas averaged $5.2718 a gallon.That was followed by El Centro at $5.3786, Stockton-Lodi at $5.3984, Chico-Paradise at $5.3978, and Modesto and Redding, both at $5.4038.At the other end was San Luis Obispo-Atascadero-Paso Robles, where regular gasoline averaged a punishing $5.8601 a gallon.
Premium was $6.26 and diesel topped $7.11.That creates a gap of nearly 59 cents a gallon between the cheapest and most expensive markets in the supplied data.For someone filling a 20-gallon tank, that’s almost $12 more for the same amount of fuel simply by filling up in the pricier market.Other expensive areas included San Francisco at $5.7187, Salinas at $5.7102, Napa at $5.7063, Santa Rosa at $5.7058 and San Diego at $5.6928.Los Angeles-Long Beach was also above the statewide average at $5.6629, while Orange County averaged $5.6023.
Riverside came in at $5.5458 and San Bernardino at $5.5704.The divide broadly follows a coastal-versus-inland pattern.Central Valley markets such as Fresno, Sacramento and Stockton-Lodi are generally cheaper than many coastal communities, where transportation, distribution and other regional costs can push prices higher.And California’s prices remain elevated even in its cheapest corners.Yuba City’s $5.27 average is still more than $1.25 above the national average.
Fresno’s $5.5050 price is nearly $1.50 higher than the national figure, while Los Angele...