(The Center Square) – Minnesota gas prices keep creeping closer to the national average after jumping nearly 40 cents in the past month.
Minnesotans are paying an average of $3.81 a gallon as of Friday, according to the most recent figures provided by the American Automobile Association. The national average hit $3.84.
Minnesota’s average was less than 1 cent below last week and nearly 40 cents higher than last month. It does remain 12 cents below the same time last year.
Nationally, according to AAA, gas prices have remained relatively flat for the past 10 days, despite an increase in both overall demand and oil prices.
“We appear to be at a fork in the road when it comes to which direction gas prices will take – up or down,” said Andrew Gross, a AAA spokesman. “The summer heat that kept people home and suppressed refinery production has eased for now, so we have to look at the cost of oil to determine if the recent price climb is ending. More expensive oil will likely lead to higher prices, so stay tuned.”
The national average of $3.81 is 27 cents more than a month ago but 20 cents less than a year ago.
In Minnesota, the highest averages are in the northeast part of the state in Lake and Cook counties, along with a pocket of eight counties in the southwest where prices range between $3.87 and $3.91.
Kittson, Marshall and Pennington counties in the northwest are among those with the lowest averages between $3.64 and $3.72.
The state’s highest record average price came in June 2022 at nearly $4.76 a gallon.
