March 23, 2005 is a day that will go down in American Motoring history. It's the day that the average price of gasoline has crossed above $2.00 a gallon for regular unleaded self-service in 48 states and the District of Columbia.
Gasoline for less than $2.00 a gallon now appears to be nothing more than a memory. That is certainly the case for the near future and probably for as long as U.S. automobiles primarily consume gasoline.
The latest surge in prices arrived with the first day of spring. Prices jumped at the beginning of the week from ten to 15 cents in some areas.
The average increase over the same time period in Europe was roughly four cents a gallon. Nevertheless, Europeans are complaining too. A Scottish newspaper Reports that gasoline prices in Britain are "virtually at the whim" of unregulated monopolists in Europe.
There is a ray of good news however. The price of crude oil dropped slightly early Wednesday morning, giving motorists a glimmer of hope that gas price increases might slow down.
Here is the ConsumerAffairs.com Round Up of the latest gasoline prices from throughout the country.
North Carolina: The average price of gas rose again Wednesday in North Carolina to reach a new record in the Charlotte area. According to the AAA Motor Club, the average price of a gallon of unleaded regular gas climbed to $2.04 a gallon. That is-an increased of 1.5 cents in just 24 hours.
The price of gasoline in and around Charlotte has gone up 22 cents in the last month. The average price of a gallon of regular in Wilmington, N.C. is $2.04, an all-time high for the Wilmington-metro area.
Michigan: Michigan gas prices are up 4.6 cents this week, setting a new record high and bringing the increase since the start of the year to 38.5 cents, AAA of Michigan reports.
The current statewide average for a gallon of self-serve, unleaded gasoline is $2.136, 39.7 cents higher than last year's average. The previous record high was $2.131 set in May 2004, according to the auto club.
In the Detroit area, the average cost was $2.114, 4.9 cents higher than last week.
New York: In New York City and on Long Island, average prices per gallon of regular unleaded were $2.161 and $2.115, respectively, AAA's survey showed. The prices were up a dime from the previous month but still about 13 cents lower than the highs recorded June 8, according to the AAA.
Many people in the Albany area paid more than two dollars for a gallon of gas. For the first time in Albany gasoline is now over two dollars a gallon at most stations.
California: Gas prices in San Bernardino and Riverside counties are still high above the national average, which soared more than 12 cents during the past week. Local prices averaged $2.39 per gallon, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California. The highest price in the region since the Auto Club began tracking them 12 years ago was $2.46 per gallon in October.
Virginia: AAA in Virginia has given up predicting where gasoline prices are headed except to say they are headed up. Martha Mitchell says for the first time Virginia history the average price has crossed above $2.00 a gallon for regular unleaded self-service gasoline.
Wisconsin: AAA says the average price for a gallon of unleaded gas is $2.16 in Eau Claire. That is an all-time high. Gas prices are higher than that at some other stations.
Iowa: Iowa energy experts say drivers could pay as much as $2.30 a gallon by Memorial Day. Prices in some parts of Iowa have already climbed to an all-time high of $2.15 for self-serve regular unleaded.
