Missouri gas prices shoot above $3 per gallon for first time in seven years
Missouri drivers might feel a bit of sticker shock when they return to the pump — gas prices have jumped to their highest levels in over seven years, according to AAA Gas Prices.
The statewide average for a gallon of rose to $3.05, an increase of 8 cents when compared to this time last week, according to the AAA Missouri Weekend Gas Watch. The price is $1.20 more per gallon compared to this time last year.
The national average price for a gallon of regular unleaded is $3.37, which is seven cents more compared to this day last week and $1.21 more than the price per gallon at this same time last year, according to AAA Gas Prices.
“Missourians have not seen the statewide average price for gasoline above three dollars per gallon since October 2014,” said AAA spokesperson Nick Chabarria. “Gas prices may continue to rise as demand for fuel products remains strong and there continues to be supply chain disruptions along with many other industries.”
Of the major metropolitan areas surveyed in Missouri, drivers in Columbia and Jefferson City are paying the most on average at $3.09 while drivers in Joplin are paying the least at $2.96 per gallon.
In Kansas City, drivers are paying an average of $3.07 a gallon, up 10 cents from a week ago. The price for a gallon of gas at this time a year ago was $1.86.
All 12 Missouri-area metros surveyed by AAA saw increases in the past week with some places experiencing significant increases. Like in Kansas City, gas prices jumped 10 cents in Columbia and Jefferson City.
Drivers in Kansas are paying an average of $3.08 a gallon, up 8 cents a week ago. The price for a gallon of gas at this time last year was $1.94.
In Kansas City, Kansas, gas prices have risen to $3.07, up 9 cents from a week ago. At this time last year, gas prices were at $1.90.
Despite Missouri’s new 2.5 cent gas tax, which took effect Oct. 1, state fuel prices have kept pace with national trends. Drivers in Missouri continue to pay the fifth lowest gas price average in the country — the same ranking it held on Sept. 30, just prior to the fuel tax increase, according to AAA Gas Prices.
This story was originally published October 21, 2021 at 10:52 AM.
