US West Coast Gas Prices Reach Record High Amid Ongoing Price Surge

The US West Coast is experiencing its longest streak of rising gas prices in nearly two decades. According to AAA and Oil Price Information Service data, the average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Los Angeles County has increased for 19 consecutive days, reaching $5.897 on Sunday.

This is the highest amount since June 8, with prices rising by 1.4 cents per gallon from the previous day. In contrast to typical seasonal trends where gas prices tend to decrease during the summer months due to lower demand, this year's high crude oil costs are driving up prices instead.

Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, notes that the national average price has never been above $4 per gallon on Labor Day. The current record is $3.82, set in 2012. The current national average price of $4.147 is 6.9 cents more than one week ago and 94.7 cents higher than last year.