Regional gas prices see slight uptick ahead of holiday

Travelers will pay a little more at the pump this Independence Day

By Ralph Hardin

ralphhardin@gmail.com

While not a popular of a travel holiday as Memorial Day weekend or Labor Day weekend, many folks in the Natrual State will be hitting the road for the Fourth of July, heading to the beach or to Grandma’s house, or to a cabin on the lake.

Independence Day travelers will find themselves paying a little more at the pump than they did in June, as gasoline prices in Arkansas have risen 4 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $2.90 per gallon Monday morning.

Crittenden County was seeing an average of $2.97 at the pump, 7 cents above the state average.

It’s not all bad news, though, according to Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy.com. Prices in Arkansas are still 15.6 cents per gallon lower than a month ago and stand 21.9 cents per gallon lower than the same time a year ago.

Other notes from De Haan:

• The national average price of diesel has risen 2.4 cents in the last week to $3.76 per gallon.

• The national average price of gasoline has risen 0.3 cents per gallon in the last week to $3.41 per gallon.

• The national average is down 18.8 cents per gallon from a month ago and 14.4 cents per gallon lower than a year ago.

“With summer now officially here, we’ve seen the national average price of gasoline holding most steady compared to last week, with some states seeing their traditional price cycling every couple of weeks, while others have seen prices slowly slip,” said De Haan.

“For now, gasoline prices may see a little movement ahead of July 4 as oil prices have risen above $80. But the good news is that instead of the national average jumping to follow the rising price of oil, it’s holding steady. The bummer is that the decreases we hoped for will have to wait, thanks to oil’s climb.”

Benchmark U.S. crude oil for August delivery fell 56 cents to $80.73 per barrel Friday.

Brent crude for August delivery fell 47 cents to $85.24 per barrel.

Wholesale gasoline for July delivery rose 1 cent to $2.51 a gallon.

In Arkansas on Monday morning, De Haan reported,

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morning Greene County had the lowest average gas price in the state at $2.78 per gallon according to the American Automobile Association.

The same reports showed that the highest average price was in Cleveland County at $3.49 per gallon.

Here were the average prices for regular unleaded gas in Northeast Arkansas on Monday morning according to AAA: Greene County, $2.78; Craighead County, $2.81; Randolph County, $2.85; Poinsett County, $2.93; Clay County, $2.97; Mississippi County, $2.98; Cross County and Lawrence County, $2.99; Jackson County, $3.02.