US gasoline prices increased in 2017, according to EIA data
Regular retail gasoline prices in the United States averaged $2.41 per gallon (gal) in 2017, 27 cents/gal higher than in 2016 but two cents/gal less than in 2015, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).
EIA collects and publishes data every Monday on retail gasoline and diesel fuel prices for 10 cities, nine states, five regions, and the United States as a whole. Gasoline prices reflect differences in gasoline specifications, taxes, and supply and demand balances in regional markets.
Higher crude oil prices contributed to the increased gasoline prices in 2017.
In three of the 10 cities for which EIA gathers weekly retail price information, gasoline prices exceeded $3.00/gal at least once in 2017, and prices in every city except for Houston surpassed $2.50/gal at some point during the year.
Hurricane Harvey, which made landfall on Aug. 25, caused refinery and infrastructure outages in the Gulf Coast, which led to higher gasoline prices, especially along the East Coast and Gulf Coast.
Of the 10 cities for which EIA collected weekly data, Los Angeles had the highest maximum retail gas price of $3.36 and the highest minimum price of $2.84. Houston had the lowest maximum and minimum prices, at $2.43 and $1.95, respectively.
