Overview

• AAA reports Washington’s average at about $4.66 per gallon, narrowly topping California and making it the most expensive state for gasoline.
• Prices are especially high in the Seattle area at roughly $4.81 per gallon, with some counties such as San Juan and Pacific exceeding $5.
• AAA and GasBuddy attribute the surge to refinery issues in Puget Sound and California and reports of an Olympic Pipeline disruption that tightened supplies.
• GasBuddy data shows the largest weekly increases nationwide on the West Coast—Washington up 20.7 cents and Oregon up 21.5 cents—even as the U.S. average slipped to $3.12 with the switch to cheaper winter-blend fuel.
• Washington’s July 1 policy changes continue to add costs, including a 6-cent hike in the state gas tax to 55.4 cents per gallon and higher CO2 fees under the Climate Commitment Act.