Arizona Gas Prices Skyrocket to $4.45 per Gallon

Gas prices in Arizona continue to rise, reaching $4.45 per gallon, up 11 cents from last week's average, according to AAA Arizona. The national average remained flat at $4.10 a gallon, while crude oil prices rose by $5.20 a barrel to settle at $84.46 a barrel.

Aldo Vazquez, spokesperson for AAA Mountain West Group, noted that August may bring some relief at the pump as road trips wind down and families adjust to fall routines. However, elevated crude oil prices could prevent this seasonal shift from starting yet.

The Energy Information Administration reported a 7.2 million barrel decrease in crude oil inventories, bringing the total to 404.5 million barrels, which is about 7% below the five-year average for this time of year. Gasoline demand increased last week, averaging 9.04 million barrels per day, while gasoline production rose to an average of 9.9 million barrels per day.

The cheapest gas in Arizona can be found at ARCO at 43rd Avenue and Roosevelt Street in Phoenix at $3.87 a gallon, according to gasbuddy.com. The state remains among the top 10 most expensive markets for gas, settling in at seventh place behind California, Hawaii, Washington, Nevada, Alaska, Oregon, and others.