JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Gasoline prices across the United States have climbed above $4 a gallon on average, reaching their highest level since 2022, according to AAA.
The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline is now $4.02, up from around $2.98 a month ago.
In Florida, the increase is even steeper. AAA reports the state’s average for regular gasoline at $4.21 a gallon, while diesel has surged to $5.80, a new record for the Sunshine State.
In Jacksonville, drivers are seeing similar spikes.
AAA reports the average for regular gas at $4.25, up from $2.87 just a month ago, and premium gas at $5.00, up from $3.69.
Diesel in the metro area has climbed to $5.84, also setting a new local record.
The sharp rise comes amid global instability affecting crude oil markets, seasonal refinery changes to summer-blend gasoline, and increased demand from spring travel.
For local drivers, the increase is being felt in their wallets. Jacksonville resident Willie Huff said the cost to fill up his car has jumped significantly.
“Gas prices are way too high, and I think it’s directly because of the war that started for reasons unknown to me,” Huff said. “My fiancé drives a 2018 BMW, and it takes premium gas, and that’s like $5 a gallon. $40 doesn’t do much.”
Huff said the last time he filled up his tank, it cost about $80 to $100, compared to around $60 a month ago, highlighting how quickly prices are rising.
“Everything is going up except for the wages at work,” Huff added. “I know God is in control, so I have faith and trust that things will get better.”
Analysts say these combined factors are pushing prices higher across the country.
Economists warn that sustained high fuel costs can affect household budgets and the broader economy, particularly if crude oil prices remain elevated.
Stopgap measures
Global leaders have been scrambling to contain the rising cost of oil and gasoline since the start of the Iran war, which took a record amount of oil off the market when tankers full of crude were stranded in the Persian Gulf and military strikes damaged refineries, pipelines and export terminals.
Hoping to ease some pain for consumers, President Donald Trump and other heads of state have been pulling on various levers, launching more oil on the market in a bid to calm the chaos.
A group of 32 nations that are members of the International Energy Agency began releasing the largest volume of emergency oil reserves in its history: 400 million barrels.
Trump is tapping into oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve while lifting sanctions on Russian and Iranian crude and temporarily waiving the Jones Act, a maritime law that requires ships carrying goods between U.S. ports to be U.S.-flagged.
But despite those maneuvers, crude oil surpassed $100 a barrel. While the stopgaps are helping, they’re not adding up to enough oil to replace what’s stranded, experts say.
“They’re all incremental,” said Mark Barteau, professor of chemical engineering and chemistry at Texas A&M University. “You’re talking about these different patches being at the level of maybe 1 to 2 million barrels a day each, and you’ve got to get to 20, so it’s hard to see those actually adding up to the numbers that are needed. And then the question is, how long can you sustain those?”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.