Florida gas prices begin decline after rising 10 cents last week

Image via Drew Dixon.

Florida gas prices shot up by 10 cents last week but are on the decline again, settling at $3.28 per gallon Monday.

Last Monday, the price tied the 2023 low of $3.22 per gallon. Then the state average shot up to $3.32 per gallon by Wednesday.

The increase came in response to a rise in crude oil prices two weeks ago, according to AAA — The Auto Club Group.

Crude oil prices fell last week, and gas prices are now doing the same. Florida’s state average fell 4 cents per gallon between Friday and Sunday. Meanwhile, U.S. crude prices settled at $85.54 per barrel, down $3.21 per barrel (4%) the week before.

Gasoline futures — funds invested in gas at a predetermined price for a specified future date — declined 6 cents.

In Florida the most expensive metro market is once again the West Palm Beach-Boca Raton area, where motorists are paying an average $3.48 per gallon to refuel, followed by Naples ($3.35) and Panama City ($3.18).

It’s cheapest in Pensacola, where drivers and motorcyclists are shelling out about $3.06 per gallon on average, followed by the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach area ($3.09) and Panama City ($3.18).

Florida is still cheaper for petrol-dependent travelers than many other states, but it is the priciest among all states in the South.

Gas is most expensive in California ($5.29), Hawaii ($4.75) and Washington ($4.70), and most affordable in Georgia ($2.96), Mississippi ($2.96), Alabama ($3.04) and Louisiana ($3.04).

The national average is $3.49 per gallon.