Average Riverside County Gas Price Drops To Lowest Amount Since June 28, 2021

The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Riverside County fell Friday to $4.22, marking its lowest level since June 28, 2021. The price declined by 1.7 cents from the previous day, according to figures from the AAA and the Oil Price Information Service.

Gas prices in the county have dropped on 31 of the past 32 days, falling a total of 47.9 cents over that period. This includes a 1.8-cent decrease on Thursday. After declining for 20 consecutive days, prices rose slightly by one-tenth of a cent on Dec. 8 before resuming their downward trend the following day.

Compared with recent benchmarks, the average price is now 10.9 cents lower than one week ago and 45.8 cents lower than one month ago. It is also 3.2 cents below the price recorded one year ago. Since reaching a record high of $6.373 per gallon on Oct. 5, 2022, Riverside County gas prices have dropped by $2.153.

Doug Shupe, corporate communications manager for the Automobile Club of Southern California, noted that some gas stations in the region are seeing especially low prices. “A few gas stations in Southern California, mainly in the Inland Empire, now are posting prices below $3.50 a gallon,” Shupe said in a statement. He advised drivers to shop around, noting that nearby stations can often differ by 50 to 70 cents per gallon when prices are falling quickly.

The downward trend is also reflected nationally. The average price of gasoline across the United States fell for the seventh time in eight days, decreasing 1.5 cents to $2.881 per gallon. Over the past eight days, the national average has dropped 5.9 cents.

Nationally, prices are now 5.1 cents lower than one week ago, 21.3 cents lower than one month ago, and 16.4 cents below last year’s level. Since peaking at a record $5.016 per gallon on June 14, 2022, the national average price has fallen by $2.135.

The continued decline in fuel costs offers some relief to drivers as prices approach levels not seen in years, both locally and nationwide.