Florida gas prices slide lower after reaching new 2023 peak

Gas prices in Florida rose to a new 2023 high last week before dipping slightly over the weekend, settling at $3.81 per gallon Monday.

That’s 4 cents cheaper than the new annual peak Sunshine State motorists paid Thursday. The previous top price this year was a cent less and also came in August.

A year ago, gas cost 26 cents more per gallon, according to AAA — The Auto Club Group.

AAA spokesperson Mark Jenkins said gas price volatility is likely to continue through the next two months due to hotter weather in the tropics.

“Pump prices typically increase if a tropical system threatens refineries along the Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi coastlines,” he said in a statement. “These refineries are the primary supplier of gasoline for Florida. The extent of the price hike varies, depending on the severity of the storm and extent of any damages sustained by the refineries.”

Despite the high price point, Florida’s gas is cheaper than the national average of about $3.87 per gallon Monday morning.

The states paying the most for fuel are in Alaska, Hawaii and the western portion of the continental U.S., including Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington, where gas costs between $4.11 and $5.26.

The cheapest gas can be found in Mississippi, where pump prices Monday average $3.32 per gallon.

In Florida, the priciest places to fill up are in the West Palm Beach-Boca Raton area, where drivers and motorcyclists are shelling out $3.96 per gallon on average, followed by Naples ($3.89) and Gainesville ($3.89).

The most wallet-friendly areas, meanwhile, are in Crestview-Fort Walton Beach ($3.52), Pensacola ($3.55) and Panama City ($3.57).