Drivers across California heading out for Labor Day weekend should expect higher prices at the pump, with fuel costs sitting at some of the steepest levels ever recorded for early September, according to AAA.
AAA reports that California’s statewide average of a whopping $5.78 is well above the national price of $4.14 per gallon as of Sept. 3 — a figure that’s up four cents from last month and nearly a dollar higher than this time last year. The national average has never topped $4 on Labor Day, but California’s elevated prices continue to outpace the rest of the country.
AAA says the usual late‑summer dip in demand isn’t bringing relief this year. “Even though gasoline demand decreases this time of year, typically bringing down gas prices, this year is different
due to the high cost of crude oil,” the agency noted.
Despite the increase in gas prices, Vice President JD Vance said he couldn’t predict when average gas prices would fall below $3 per gallon in comments to reporters at the White House.
"We’re talking about things that are inherently unpredictable," Vance said. "Gas, frankly, could have been much, much higher were it not for our efforts. But I’m not going to make a promise about when it’s going to return to $3."
Where is the cheapest gas in the Stockton-San Joaquin County area?
According to GasBuddy, the top 5 retailers with the most inexpensive gas as of Friday, Sept. 4, were:
- Diamond Gas & Mart, 515 W 11th St, Tracy: $5.03
- Valero, 153 E 11th St, Tracy: $5.03
- Marathon, 950 W 11th St, Tracy: $5.03
- Diamond Gas & Mart, 824 E Yosemite Ave, Manteca: $5.05
- Sinclair, 420 W Yosemite Ave, Manteca: $5.05
In Stockton, the lowest price was $5.09 at Sinclair, 3250 W Hammer Lane.
Where is gas the most expensive?
According to AAA, these are the "top 10 most expensive gasoline markets" in the United States:
- California $5.78
- Washington $5.47
- Hawaii $5.41
- Oregon $4.98
- Alaska $4.96
- Nevada $4.91
- Idaho $4.62
- Arizona $4.52
- Utah $4.42
- Montana $4.38
Increased prices at the pump
The increase in gas prices has also dragged President Donald Trump's approval and is hurting the GOP ahead of the midterm elections. Eight in 10 Americans believe attacking Iran increased the cost of gas and groceries, and a majority disapprove of the war in Iran according to a new University of Massachusetts Amherst poll.
"With no end in sight to the ongoing war in Iran, the continued rise in the price of gas, groceries, utilities, and housing, an escalating trade war with Canada, and the likelihood of higher interest rates, it comes as no surprise that Trump's approval rating remains at a paltry 32%," Tatishe Nteta, director of the UMass Amherst Poll, said in a news release.
Contributing: Bart Jansen, Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, Elizabeth Roberts USA TODAY Network
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Where to find the cheapest gas in San Joaquin County this weekend
