California has historically been home to some of the highest gas prices in the nation. With the recent tensions between the United States, Israel and Iran, gas prices have skyrocketed to levels that some say are becoming unsustainable.
Keith Grace, a 49-year-old resident of East Los Angeles, said he spends anywhere between $400 and $500 a week on gas for his car.
Grace said he believed the current administration was to blame.
“The president and the rest of his team, it all results from them,” he said. “Then it trickles down to us.”
The uptick in price traces back to the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway in the Persian Gulf through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil passes.
The Islamic Republic has heavily restricted shipping traffic through the Strait since the conflict first started on Feb. 28, forcing gas prices up while the world searches elsewhere for crude oil.
In addition, two key California oil refineries, Phillips 66 and Valero, shut down in 2025 and 2026, respectively. This came after long-term uncertainty in the state’s oil market, and added a level of further strain on the supply.
The California Air Resources Board also requires a special fuel blend, which is designed to reduce pollution and improve air quality. This blend burns cleaner, but is more costly to produce due to an increased number of processing steps and expensive blending components.
After federal, state and local taxes are added to the final per-gallon cost, the total that drivers see at the pump can cause sticker shock.
At the time of this article’s publication, California has the highest average gas price per gallon, sitting at about $5.929, according to AAA. Los Angeles, specifically, tops the state average, coming in at about $6.037 per gallon.
With Los Angeles fuel prices soaring above $6 per gallon for the first time since October 2023, Californians have started looking at gubernatorial candidates for support.
Democrat Tom Steyer, who has been critical of the state’s high gas prices, spoke to the press Thursday morning at a Chevron on North Alamenda Street near Union Station.
The station is a mainstay of local newscasts, known for its exorbitant prices, which regularly climb above $8 per gallon — and are sometimes closer to $9.
“This Chevron station, $8.29 a gallon for regular,” Steyer said. “Californians are getting crushed.”
The last time California gas prices spiked in the state, Gov. Gavin Newsom worked to issue debit cards loaded with hundreds of dollars to 9.6 million Californians in an effort to provide inflation relief.
However, nearly a million residents never cashed out their cards, leaving $400 million still on the table, according to the Franchise Tax Board in California.
Those who have not yet taken advantage of this resource have until April 30 to claim the money before it goes back to the state.
Johnny Martinez, a San Fernando Valley resident, said he owns a V8 pickup truck that he no longer drives because of the gas prices. He noted that it cost him about $150 each time he had to fill up the tank.
Some residents around Los Angeles believe the fuel prices should serve as a sign for more people to begin driving energy-efficient vehicles.
Monique Mackey, an Uber driver, has noticed the strain fuel prices are causing to those around her.
“It doesn’t affect my everyday lifestyle, but it affects my family’s life,” said Mackey, who drives a Tesla. “I would like to see more people driving energy-efficient vehicles, like hybrids or electrics. I don’t know if the intention of gas prices is to push Californians into more eco-friendly vehicles.”
In a statement posted to social media by Donald Trump, the President announced that the United States and Iran had agreed to a ceasefire which would include “the complete, immediate, and safe opening of the Strait of Hormuz.”
Despite this, traffic remains at a standstill.
Only five to nine confirmed vessels passed through the Strait in the first 24 hours following the announcement of the ceasefire, according to the Hormuz Strait Monitor.