Maryland gas prices jump to highest level in more than a year
Baltimore drivers are paying more at the pump as Maryland gas averages hit $4.17, a year-high that is squeezing commutes and small businesses.
Gas at Maryland pumps climbed nearly 30 cents in a week to $4.17 a gallon, the highest level in more than a year, according to AAA. The state average was still above the national benchmark of $4.09, and Baltimore drivers were already seeing the same pressure at city stations as fuel costs kept rising.
In Baltimore, regular gas had reached $3.86 a gallon by July 13, up 17 cents in one week, the Baltimore Sun reported at the time. That city price was 11.6 cents higher than a month earlier and 71.4 cents higher than a year earlier, a jump that hits anyone who depends on a car for work, school drop-off or a daily commute across the city and into Baltimore County.
The move in prices has been tied to broader energy-market volatility. WBAL-TV reported that Baltimore gas prices jumped again as Iran tensions sent oil costs higher, adding a geopolitical layer to what drivers are seeing at the pump. Maryland also added a little more tax pressure on July 1, when the Maryland Comptroller said the combined applicable gasoline tax rate increased to 46.60 cents per gallon, a net increase of 0.6 cents per gallon.
That combination matters far beyond a single fill-up. For Baltimore households already watching grocery bills and utility costs, another 30-cent weekly jump in gasoline can alter commuting decisions, delivery charges and the overhead faced by small businesses that run vans or make regular supply trips. A corner store in East Baltimore that relies on deliveries, or a contractor driving between jobs in the city, now absorbs higher fuel costs before a single item reaches the shelf or a project starts.
The pace of the increase points to more than a one-day spike. Maryland moved from a statewide average below the latest mark to $4.17 in just one week, while Baltimore prices were already up sharply from both a month and a year earlier. If oil markets stay unsettled and the tax increase remains in place, Baltimore City drivers could keep feeling the squeeze well into late summer.
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