Fuel prices rose again for the eighth straight week, according to the US Energy Information Administration. The US national average retail fuel price of unleaded gasoline rose 1 cent to $3.11/gallon, while a gallon of midgrade remained the same at $3.22, and a gallon of premium rose one cent to $3.35.
The largest fuel price increases were in the Rocky Mountain region, where the average gallon of unleaded gas rose two cents to $2.91/gallon. That region still has the lowest fuel prices in the country, one of only two regions where unleaded remains below $3.00/gallon. The other region below $3.00/gallon is the Gulf Coast, where the average price of unleaded is $2.96.
As for individual states, Minnesota had the largest fuel price increase of the week at $.07/gallon for unleaded, with an average price of $3.16/gallon. Ohio led the states with the largest unleaded fuel price decrease, dropping four cents to $3.06/gallon. Texas was the only other state with a reported price decrease, where unleaded fuel dropped a penny to $2.95/gallon. California again has the highest fuel prices in the country where the average price for a gallon of unleaded is $3.35, up one cent from last week. New York state remains the second highest priced, where a gallon of unleaded is up a penny to $3.34/gallon.
Chicago reported the only local fuel price decrease in the country, where the price of unleaded dropped two cents to $3.22/gallon. Denver had the largest increase of any city in the country, where the price of unleaded rose four cents to $2.94/gallon.