PHOENIX — Believe it or not, the average price for a gallon of gas is higher in Phoenix than in California right now.
The current average for a gallon of unleaded gas in Phoenix is $5. In California, it is $4.87.
Arizona is an outlier nationally.
According to Triple AAA, the average price is 40 cents lower nationally compared to one year ago. In Arizona, it is 15 cents higher.
There are several reasons for rising prices. Refinery maintenance in Texas and New Mexico is shorting supplies to Arizona. A surprise announcement by OPEC is cutting crude oil output beginning in May. A switch to summer blend gas, which is beneficial for the health of residents in Arizona because it reduces ground-level ozone, also pushes up the price of gas every spring.
The average price varies by county. It is $4.28 per gallon in Yavapai County and $4.70 per gallon in Pima County.
There are reasons to believe drivers are less likely to hit the road. The most recent Triple AAA survey regarding habits, taken in March of last year, found 2/3 of drivers nationally make “significant changes” when gas is more than $4 a gallon. Nearly a third were willing to postpone vacations.
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