Area gas prices up 2.3 cents per gallon on the week

Average retail gasoline prices in the Tacoma area have risen 2.3 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.33 per gallon on Monday.

The petroleum monitoring service GasBuddy, which daily surveys 271 Pierce County gasoline outlets, reported Monday that the national average that has increased 6.9 cents per gallon in the past week to $2.11 per gallon.

The lowest price in the area was recorded Monday morning at two local stations — the Tacoma Costco and an Orchard Street Arco — at $2 per gallon.

In Olympia, the lowest price was $2.09 at two Arco stations, both on Martin Way East, and a 76 station, also on Martin Way East.

Including the change in gas prices in Tacoma during the past week, prices were 42.9 cents per gallon lower than the same time one year ago and are 6.4 cents per gallon higher than a month ago. The national average has increased 13.7 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 33 cents per gallon lower than this day one year ago.

Among the highest historic prices for this date in the area, motorists in 2012 were paying an average of $4.11 per gallon, and $3.92 per gallon in 2011.

GasBuddy noted that the average statewide price on Monday reached $2.31 per gallon, up 2.2 cents per gallon over the past week.

“Gasoline prices increased last week in 49 of 50 states, thanks to a sudden jump in the price of crude oil tied to speculation of a change or freeze in oil output at this weekend’s meeting in Doha, Qatar,” said Patrick DeHaan, GasBuddy analyst, in a release.

This story was originally published April 18, 2016 at 2:20 PM with the headline "Area gas prices up 2.3 cents per gallon on the week."