Gas prices hit a new record: 2 SLO County spots are charging almost $6 a gallon
After almost a week with the dubious honor of having the most expensive gas in the entire country, San Luis Obispo County suddenly dropped down the rankings on Friday, landing at the No. 11 spot, according to GasBuddy.com.
Though that might seem like great news for the region, the change in ranking seems mostly driven by staggering increases in prices in other California areas — not by an actual decrease in prices here.
In fact, San Luis Obispo County’s gas prices have continued to rise in the past week.
Since first topping the list on Feb. 25, the average cost of a gallon of gas in San Luis Obispo County has risen approximately 13 cents to a new record of $5.02 per gallon as of Friday, according to GasBuddy.
That’s easily the highest average recorded in the past five years (GasBuddy does not release historical data for the SLO County area going back further than that).
Two local stations are even reportedly charging almost $6 per gallon: According to GasBuddy, which crowdsources individual station prices from customers, the Chevron station in Templeton was charging $5.99 for a gallon of gas as of Friday.
The Shell station in Cambria was also charging $5.99 per gallon as of Friday evening, a gas station clerk confirmed to The Tribune.
Though information is not available on the prices at all stations across the region, that appears to make those the most expensive gas in San Luis Obispo County, according to GasBuddy.
The next closest contenders are the Chevron in Cambria, charging $5.87 per gallon according to GasBuddy, and the Shell stations in Shell Beach and Chevron on Five Cities Drive in Pismo Beach, which were both charging an estimated $5.59 per gallon as of Friday.
Meanwhile, AAA estimates the average price of a gallon of gas locally at $5.24 — making it the second-most-expensive gas in California behind San Rafael’s $5.25 average.
That’s the highest average ever recorded in San Luis Obispo County, according to AAA.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect a second gas station charging $5.99 per gallon in SLO County.
Staff writer Kathe Tanner contributed to this report.
This story was originally published March 4, 2022 at 4:16 PM.
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