Gas Prices In IL Among Most Expensive In U.S., New Study Says (2024)

Traffic & Transit

According to a new AAA study, Illinois gas prices were about 36 cents higher than the national average last week.

Posted Thu, Mar 14, 2024 at 3:53 pm CT

Illinois is ranked sixth out of the 10 U.S. states with the most expensive gas, according to the AAA study released last week. In Illinois, travelers were paying about $3.75 per gallon — 36 cents higher than the national average of $3.39.

The current national average is about 25 cents more than a month ago but 2 cents less than a year ago, the study said.

"Spring is nearly here, with longer days, better weather, and more opportunities to hit the road," AAA spokesperson Andrew Gross said in a statement."And we are seeing this reflected in rising gasoline demand. But remember, we see this trend every year."

To determine which states saw the largest jump in gas prices, AAA analyzed the difference in cost from Feb. 29 to March 7.

States with the largest increases were:

1. Ohio (+28 cents)
2. Missouri (+27 cents)
3. Kansas (+23 cents)
4. North Dakota (+21 cents)
5. Arizona (+17 cents)
6. Oklahoma (+15 cents)
7. Montana (+15 cents)
8. Michigan (+14 cents)
9. California (+12 cents)
10. Nebraska (+12 cents)

States with the most expensive gas during that time were:

1. California ($4.86)
2. Hawaii ($4.71)
3. Washington ($4.16)
4. Nevada ($4.09)
5. Oregon ($3.89)
6. Illinois ($3.75)
7. Alaska ($3.66)
8. Arizona ($3.58)
9. Pennsylvania ($3.54)
10. Washington, DC ($3.48)

The cost of oil is the culprit behind the spike in prices, AAA said, as crude accounts for nearly 60 percent of pump prices. According to AAA, the cost of a barrel of oil is nearing $80, about $10 more than a few months ago.

Demand is also pushing pump prices higher. According to data from the Energy Information Administration, gas demand jumped from 8.47 to 9.01 million barrels per day during the week analyzed by the organization.