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California's Average Gas Price Soars Past $6 a Gallon
Image of GV Wire news director and columnist Bill McEwen
By Bill McEwen, News Director
Published 21 hours ago on
May 1, 2026

Image of gas pump with a green handle for diesel and red for gasoline. (Shutterstock)

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Six-buck gas is no longer a here-or there-thing in California. It’s now everywhere.

The average cost of regular gas hit $6 a gallon Thursday and climbed to $6.06 Friday, according to AAA.

The last time California saw gas prices this high was in 2023 — a spike caused by refinery outages.

“There’s no way to predict how high (the price) might go,” Andrew Campbell, head of UC Berkeley’s Energy Institute at Haas, told Politico. “Anytime consumers see prices go up, you should expect those higher prices are going to be around for a while.”

Newsom Blames Trump for Draining California Wallets

Naturally, California Gov. Gavin Newsom blamed President Trump and the war in Iran for the high price of gas in California and elsewhere.

“Every American who fills up their tank this week, buys groceries, or books a flight is paying Donald Trump’s Iran war tax,” Newsom said. “He started the Iran war with no plan, and it is clear he has no plan to end it either.”

In a series of tweets, the governor’s press office also stated:

“WOW. Thanks to Trump’s war in Iran, Americans will spend $500+ million more JUST TODAY at the pump than they did prior to the war!”

And, “Since March 1, Americans have spent an additional $21+ BILLION at the pump thanks to Trump’s war of choice in Iran.”

What Newsom and his publicists didn’t mention while attacking Trump was that taxes, refinery closures, and California’s strict regulations for cleaner-burning gas also contribute to California’s high prices.

Meanwhile, AAA reported Thursday: “After ticking down for nearly two weeks, gas prices are going back up again with the national average seeing a 27-cent hike in one week. The national average is $1.12 higher than it was this time last year, as oil prices surge above $100/barrel with no indication of when the Strait of Hormuz will reopen.”

A Little Help for Diesel Drivers

Diesel has seen the biggest hike in California, going from $4.98 a gallon a year ago to $7.50 as of Friday, according to AAA. Still, that represents a 25-cent a gallon drop from the record high of $7.75 on April 9, 2026.

In addition, Reuters reported that an Iranian proposal on negotiations with the U.S. sent crude oil futures diving on Friday. Brent crude futures for July were down $1.62, or 1.47%, at $108.78 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate futures lost $3.40, or 3.24%, falling to $101.67.

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Bill McEwen,
News Director
Bill McEwen is news director and columnist for GV Wire. He joined GV Wire in August 2017 after 37 years at The Fresno Bee. With The Bee, he served as Opinion Editor, City Hall reporter, Metro columnist, sports columnist and sports editor through the years. His work has been frequently honored by the California Newspapers Publishers Association, including authoring first-place editorials in 2015 and 2016. Bill and his wife, Karen, are proud parents of two adult sons, and they have two grandsons. You can contact Bill at 559-492-4031 or at bmcewen@gvwire.com

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