Orange County gas average nears record after 39-day rise

The average price for regular gas in Orange County rose to $6.369 per gallon Saturday, putting it 8.9 cents below its record, ABC7 Los Angeles reported.

The increase comes during a 39-day climb in both Orange County and Los Angeles County, with regional prices far above the national average of $4.487.

ABC7 Los Angeles reported that Orange County’s average price for self-serve regular gasoline rose 4.6 cents Saturday to $6.369 per gallon. The county’s record is $6.458, set Oct. 5, 2022.

The Orange County average has increased for 39 straight days, rising 79.4 cents over that stretch, according to figures from AAA and the Oil Price Information Service cited by ABC7 Los Angeles.

In Los Angeles County, the average price rose 5.1 cents to $6.387 per gallon Saturday, ABC7 Los Angeles reported. That price was 10.6 cents under the county record of $6.493, also set Oct. 5, 2022.

AAA attributed the rise to crude oil costs and international supply concerns. “Typically, the start of autumn brings lower gas prices, but lingering volatility in the Strait of Hormuz and the high cost of crude oil are driving up pump prices,” AAA said, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

The national average slipped four-tenths of a cent to $4.487, ABC7 Los Angeles reported. Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said the national average was at its highest level this late in the calendar year, according to the station.

GasBuddy provides real-time price information from 150,000 stations, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.