Photos: Gas Prices Edge Even Higher, With More Los Angeles Stations At $4.99 A Gallon
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Drive through La Brea, Melrose, and into Hollywood, the lights that really grab attention along the way are the digital gas price displays.
The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gas in Los Angeles County jumped 2.6 cents to $4.624 Thursday – the largest daily increase since February, and the highest amount since Oct. 16, 2012.
That average price is 3.4 cents more than a week ago, 18.3 cents higher than a month ago, and $1.468 more than a year ago, according to AAA and Oil Price Information Service.
As recently as Tuesday night, gas prices in the middle of Los Angeles proper hovered around $5 a gallon. The cheapest price spotted was $4.53 a gallon of self-serve regular gas at an Arco station.
Gas prices also made its highest daily jump since February in Orange County, where a gallon of self-serve regular went up 3.5 cents to $4.591. That price is 4.4 cents more than a week ago, 18.8 cents higher than a month ago, and $1.472 more than a year ago.
The timing of the relentlessly rising gas prices couldn't be worse. Inflation across the country is at 30-year high, in part due to the ongoing bottleneck at the ports of LA and Long Beach, which is driving up the costs for items ranging from rental cars to food staples. Plus, the holiday travel season will begin soon, with many travelers expected to hit the road to visit friends and family.
(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)