AAA reports 11-cent gas price jump in Arkansas in last week
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The cost for Arkansas drivers to fill their gas tanks is continuing to climb this spring.
AAA on Thursday reported that the average price for a gallon of regular gas climbed to $3.18, an 11-cent jump from the previous week and 14 cents higher than this time last year.
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The highest average price in the Natural State was in Izard County at $3.37, while the lowest cost was at $2.99 in Van Buren County, the only county in the state under the $3 mark.
The metro areas in central Arkansas saw some of the lower prices around the state, with Pine Bluff coming in at $3.12, Little Rock-North Little Rock at $3.13 and Hot Springs at $3.14. That wasn’t the case in northwest Arkansas, where drivers in the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers area were paying $3.27.
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AAA attributed the spike in fuel cost to seasonal travel demand, rising crude oil prices and refinery switchover to summer-blend fuel. The travel company also cited a $4 per barrel jump in crude oil cost over the last month and said the continued switch to summer-blend will lead to more price increases.
“This is the time of year when gas prices usually start to increase thanks to seasonal demand and the switchover to summer blend fuel,” AAA spokesperson Nick Chabarria explained. “In addition, crude oil, the main ingredient in gas, is getting more expensive.”
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Even with the continued jumps in prices at the pump, Arkansas continues to see some of the lowest gas prices around the country, coming in as the sixth least expensive state for average gas prices.
Colorado and Mississippi top that list with average gas costs of $3.08 per gallon, 45 cents below the national average of $3.53. California drivers are paying the highest price for gas at an average cost of $4.95 per gallon.
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