(The Center Square) – Gas prices in Ohio are coming down.
The most recent prices from the American Automobile Association show prices in the Buckeye State are down nearly 12 cents from a week ago. Costs per gallon, however, are almost 30 cents higher than a month ago.
Nationally, prices continue to climb, rising 14 cents a gallon over the last month to $3.24.
The national average for a gallon of gas has been at least $3 a gallon since December. Prices both nationally and in Ohio are significantly below what they were a year ago.
The average cost per gallon in Ohio stands at $3.08, down from $3.19 last week but up from $2.80 a month ago.
AAA places the blame for rising prices on refinery maintenance and the ongoing switch to summer-blend gas. The last time national prices reached this level was in September.
In Ohio, the lowest prices can be found in the Dayton area at $2.96 per gallon, more than 40 cents higher than a month ago. Prices in the Cincinnati metro region are $3.04 per gallon, also nearly 40 cents higher than a month ago.
The state’s highest prices were in eastern Ohio in the Steubenville-Warren area at $3.20 a gallon. A month ago, the same region was paying $2.95 a gallon.
Also, motorists in the Columbus area are paying an average of $3.17 per gallon, matching the 40 cents per gallon jump seen in other areas over the past month.
California, Hawaii and Washington posted the highest per-gallon prices in the nation, all more than $4 a gallon. The least expensive gas can be found in Mississippi ($2.74), Tennessee ($2.80), Oklahoma ($2.81) and Louisiana ($2.82).
