After spending several months down around the $3 mark, drivers are once again finding reason to complain about the price of gasoline.

A gallon of fuel climbed 17 cents over 26 consecutive days in July. AAA says that's the biggest July jump since 2000.

According the website GasBuddy.com, the BP gas station on Prudential Drive across from Flagler Avenue on the Southbank is the most expensive in Jacksonville at $3.64 a gallon.

Ken Joyner said it typically costs him $45 to fill up. It cost him nearly $43 Wednesday.

"I don't know if we can do anything to have more control over what the prices are going to be doing," Joyner said.

The national average has gone up to about $3.50 a gallon after a steady climb last month.

Florida and Georgia are on the cheaper end of the spectrum compared to other states. Florida is the 17th cheapest state in the U.S., averaging about $3.43 for a gallon of regular. Georgia is a couple cents cheaper at $3.41.

Jacksonville's average matches the Sunshine State's.

A month ago, the average was about $3.17. That's a big jump, and it affects people like Nesse Jones, who normally fills up her car. She didn't on Wednesday.

"Short on money," she said.

"We don't travel as much," said Porsha Crowder. "We definitely don't go to the beach as much. We love the beach, but (have gone) twice this summer."

David Cawton, a sales and service specialist for AAA, expects gas prices to level off. He said his office is getting speculative reports that gas will hit a plateau in August.

"The report that we're getting, we do not expect to see, say, $4 a gallon," Cawton said. "We don't expect them to see an increase like we say in the early part of this month."

Cawton said the sudden price increase is due in part to government sanctions on Iran and the speculation that the U.S. and European governments were going to stimulate economic growth, which they have not. Cawton said the U.S. has a stockpile of about 3 million barrels of oil, which is a good thing.

As for the cheapest gas prices in northeast Florida, GasBuddy.com says there are three stations in Macclenny that start as low as $3.29 for a gallon of regular.