Prices at the pump climb in Massachusetts and Hawaii, but drivers in Michigan and Chicago see minor relief over last week’s prices.
The national average for gasoline sits at $3.93 per gallon as of April 8, with some states seeing small dips in price this week and others facing price climbs, according to AAA’s Fuel Gauge Report.
Gas prices in Michigan fell 13 cents over the weekend, putting average gas price at $3.91 for a gallon of regular unleaded gas in the state—just five cents more than an average of $3.86 one year ago, according to MLive—and less than the national average for the first time in several weeks.
The average price for gas in Massachusetts is growing, now reaching $3.879—up eight cents from the previous week’s average, and the fourth consecutive week of price increases, according to AAA Southern New England and the Boston Globe. Last year at this time, the Massachusetts average price for gas was $3.63 a gallon.
The average price of regular, unleaded gas in Hawaii, meanwhile, set another record on April 8 at $4.61 a gallon, due to rise in gas prices in Wailuku. The AAA Hawaii Daily Fuel Gauge survey noted Hawaii’s statewide average is about 19 cents higher than last month and about one cent higher than last week.
AAA Chicago’s most recent Fuel Gauge Report estimates that in the city of Chicago regular gas sits at $4.57 on April 8, down from $4.65 a week ago.
In Illinois, regular unleaded gasoline increased 52 cents in March, and 86 cents since the start of the 2012, the Chicago Sun Times reported. The average cost of $4.10 per gallon for the month of March was 44 cents higher per gallon than last year. Chicago and its surrounding metro region hit all-time highs for gas prices in March. On March 27 gas hit $4.68—the highest price ever in Chicago and the highest price in the lower 48 states that day. Average gasoline prices in the Chicago metropolitan area fell April 2, putting the average price of unleaded regular gas at $4.45 a gallon, while gas in the city of Chicago, averaged $4.65 a gallon.
“The seasonal switch over to a summer blend of gasoline, combined with high prices for oil and especially high prices for the reformulated blend of gasoline used in Chicago left consumers altering daily commute plans and family budgets this month,” said Beth Mosher, director of public affairs for AAA Chicago.
Yet despite high gas prices nation-wide, large numbers of vacation loyalists are still traveling despite rising fuel costs, according to a recent AAA travel agent survey and travel sales data.
“Many Americans consider travel a mainstay to our way of life and are loyal vacationers,” said Bill Sutherland, vice president, AAA Travel Services. “While some Americans may modify their travel due to rising fuel costs, those who can are still choosing to travel and they are traversing the world.”
AAA’s Top Summer Land Vacation Destinations in the U.S. include: Orlando, Fla., Honolulu, Hawaii , and Anaheim, Calif.