$7.69 for a gallon? See where gas prices are highest, lowest in SLO County
In the three weeks since the United States launched airstrikes on Iran, gas prices across the country have skyrocketed — including here in San Luis Obispo County where at least one station is creeping closer to that daunting $8 a gallon mark.
Locally, the average price of a gallon of regular gas hit $5.65 on Tuesday, according to GasBuddy.com, marking the county’s most expensive gas average since October 2023.
It’s also up nearly a dollar from March 1, when gas averaged roughly $4.72 per gallon, GasBuddy data showed.
Diesel prices have also jumped significantly in that time period, going up more than a dollar since March 1 to an average of $6.57 per gallon as of Tuesday.
“Consumers continue to feel the sting of rising oil, gasoline and diesel costs as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East remain elevated, pushing gasoline prices to their highest levels in years while diesel could soon approach the $5-per-gallon mark nationally,” GasBuddy head of petroleum analysis Patrick De Haan said in a news release.
According to GasBuddy, the national average of a gallon of regular gas has risen more than 80 cents in the past month to $3.68.
And that rising number is likely to continue.
“Until we see a meaningful resumption of oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, upward pressure on fuel prices is likely to persist,” De Haan said. “At the same time, seasonal forces are beginning to intensify as several regions complete the transition to summer gasoline, creating a double headwind that could continue driving pump prices higher in the weeks ahead.”
Where is cheapest, most expensive gas in SLO County?
As of Monday, Ragged Point Inn at the northern county line appeared to hold the title for most expensive gas in the San Luis Obispo County.
There, gas ranged from $7.69 for a gallon of regular gas to $7.89 for premium, according to an inn employee.
It’s not unusual for the station at the northernmost corner of San Luis Obispo County to have more expensive gas than the rest of the county. The stretch along the scenic Highway 1 through Big Sur is commonly the site of higher-than-average prices due to its remote nature.
Back down in the county proper, the next-highest gas price according to GasBuddy was at the Chevron on 501 Five Cities Drive in Pismo Beach, where a gallon cost $6.79 as of Monday.
Some stations could be charging more. Prices for a number of local stations that routinely lean toward the more expensive were not listed on GasBuddy on Monday. GasBuddy’s price data is reported by users.
Meanwhile, there were still five stations charging less than $5 per gallon — though how much longer that will last is anyone’s guess.
Here are the cash prices for the 10 least expensive stations in San Luis Obispo County as of Monday, according to GasBuddy.
- Anchor Gas, 1860 Main St., Morro Bay: $4.83
- USA Gasoline, 1798 Main St., Morro Bay: $4.93
- One Stop Food, 703 Spring St., Paso Robles: $4.95
- Mobil, 911 Morro Bay Blvd., Morro Bay: $4.97
- Fastrip Fuel & Wayside Liquors, 710 Creston Road, Paso Robles: $4.99
- Arco, 195 Niblick Road, Paso Robles: $5.03
- Shell, 900 Morro Bay Blvd., Morro Bay: $5.09
- Conserv Fuel, 2211 Broad St., San Luis Obispo: $5.15
- Marv’s Station, 6700 El Camino Real, Atascadero: $5:19
- Sinclair, 222 Grand Ave., Arroyo Grande: $5.19
This story was originally published March 17, 2026 at 9:00 AM.
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