FREDERICKSBURG, Va. — Rising gasoline prices will greet travelers who are planning to drive to their spring break destinations.
The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in the D.C. metropolitan area now sits at exactly $2, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic. That’s up from $1.96 last week and $1.71 a month ago, and a penny more than the national average.
Maryland and Virginia have both seen increases of 30 cents over the past month and 4 cents over the past week. The average price in Maryland is $2.01; Virginia drivers are paying $1.84.
Drivers in the District are paying the most, with the city’s average sitting at $2.12.
Despite the increases, the entire region is paying 40 cents less than this time last year.
Most stations across the metro area are charging roughly $1.99 to $2.09, according to data from GasBuddy.
For travelers, the hotspot for inexpensive gas is on Garrisonville Road, near I-95, in Aquia, where stations are selling gas for roughly $1.77 per gallon.
The rising gasoline prices are primarily attributed to the switchover from winter-blend to summer-blend gasoline, which requires refineries to shut down during the transition. The summer blend is also more expensive to produce.