(The Center Square) – Gas prices are climbing in Virginia as oil markets react to conflict in the Middle East, but drivers in the commonwealth are still paying less on average than drivers in neighboring Maryland.
AAA’s gas tracker showed Virginia’s average for regular gas at $3.63 a gallon Tuesday, compared with $3.77 in Maryland and $3.79 nationwide. Virginia was also up from $3.52 a day earlier, $3.32 a week ago and $2.82 a month ago.
GasBuddy said the national average for gasoline rose more than 23 cents over the last week to about $3.68 a gallon. Patrick De Haan, the company’s head of petroleum analysis, said rising prices are tied to ongoing tensions in the Middle East, reduced oil flows and the seasonal shift to summer gasoline.
“Consumers continue to feel the sting of rising oil, gasoline and diesel costs as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East remain elevated,” De Haan said. “Until we see a meaningful resumption of oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, upward pressure on fuel prices is likely to persist.”
Even with Virginia’s statewide average climbing, some stations were still posting noticeably lower prices Tuesday. GasBuddy listings showed regular gas as low as $2.89 in Alexandria, with other stations at $2.99 in Roanoke and Lynchburg and around $3.00 to $3.09 in parts of the state.
Maryland also had some lower posted prices, with GasBuddy listings showing gas around $3.22 in St. James and several stations in Cambridge ranging from $3.29 to $3.40. As with Virginia, those station-level prices can change quickly depending on the time of day and location.
Virginia diesel prices were also higher Tuesday, reaching about $5.02 a gallon, up from $5.00 a day earlier and $4.78 a week ago, according to AAA.
Federal petroleum data released last week showed U.S. gasoline inventories fell by 3.7 million barrels in the week ending March 6, while refinery utilization rose to 90.8%. The supply data comes as spring travel begins to pick up and seasonal gasoline blends start putting additional pressure on prices.
