Fresno Gas Prices Stay Below $4.50 as California Average Hits $5.20

Drivers filling up at the EZ Trip on West Shaw Avenue or the Fastrip in Kerman were paying well under $4.50 for regular gasoline last weekend, even as California's statewide average climbed to $5.20 per gallon and some coastal stations pushed past $8.

According to AAA, California now holds the nation's highest average pump price for regular, up 73 cents from February. Premium gasoline averages $5.60 statewide, and diesel sits at $5.96. The national average for regular, by contrast, is $3.48 per gallon.

The gap between California's average and what Fresno-area drivers actually paid was stark. GasBuddy reported the Fastrip in Kerman selling regular for $4.19 on Sunday, and the EZ Trip at 2171 W. Shaw Ave. in Fresno selling regular for $4.43 on Monday. Both prices land more than 75 cents below the statewide average and nearly $4 below the highest prices seen elsewhere in California.

Those high-end prices are not theoretical. Some California stations, notably in higher-cost coastal metro areas, were advertising regular as high as $8.21 per gallon. Spencer Hakimian posted on social media Monday, writing "BREAKING: $8 GAS SEEN IN LOS ANGELES" alongside a photo of a station sign.

Multiple factors are driving the spike. "It's not just the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran that's inflating gas prices," GV Wire reported in its March 9 market snapshot. "Refinery closures in California and the state's strict regulations for cleaner burning gas also are contributing, analysts say."

Even at current elevated statewide levels, California has not returned to its all-time highs. The state's average for regular peaked at $6.44 on June 14, 2022, while diesel set its record at $7.01 on June 18 of that same year. At $5.20 for regular today, California is roughly $1.24 below that 2022 peak — though the 73-cent jump from February signals prices are moving in the wrong direction for drivers across the state.

For Central Valley commuters who cover long stretches of Highway 99 or Interstate 5, the difference between local prices and the statewide average amounts to real money. At the Kerman Fastrip's $4.19 price, a 15-gallon fill-up costs roughly $63; at California's $5.20 average, that same fill-up runs $78.