Memorial Day Gas Prices Hit Four-Year High as Millions of Californians Hit the Road

Gas prices are putting a dent in Memorial Day travel plans across California this weekend, with statewide averages climbing to their highest point in four years and Riverside County drivers paying around $6 a gallon to fill up.

AAA projects a record number of holiday travelers this year, with the vast majority choosing to drive. In California, that means a pricier trip than most were hoping for. The statewide average sits at $6.11 a gallon, and here in Riverside County, drivers are paying around $6.01, up about 20 cents from just a month ago.

The sticker shock is hitting some drivers harder than expected. One Sacramento-area traveler said she had planned to save money by filling up closer to home, only to find prices just as steep. "I was actually thinking, let me come fill up in Sacramento. So I pay less. But the fact that it's more than right by my house, I'm like, shocked." Sacramento County is seeing some of the steepest prices in the state, sitting at $6 a gallon, up nearly 30 cents from last month.

Still, most people aren't canceling their plans. "I'm still traveling," one driver said, adding he wished he had filled up somewhere cheaper along the way.

Not everyone is feeling the pinch, though. Electric vehicle drivers are watching the weekend play out very differently. Lucio Hernandez, who traded in his gas-powered truck for an EV just last month, said charging up for his trip cost only a fraction of what he used to spend at the pump. "This is actually the first time I'm charging it. The other times I charge at work." Another EV driver put it plainly: "Avoiding those high gas prices. I saw somewhere in my travels today, $6.59 for gas."

Here in Riverside County, the current average is $6.01 a gallon, down just a penny from yesterday and six cents from last week, though still 20 cents higher than prices a month ago.