After weeks of small declines, drivers in the area have now seen an unexpected sharp rise in prices at the gas pump.

Average gasoline prices in Modesto have risen 20.3 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $4.69/gallon as of Sept. 16, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 201 stations in Modesto. Prices in Modesto are 38.6 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand 58.4 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has declined 3.4 cents in the last week and stands at $3.57 per gallon - the lowest level since January, 2022, over 900 days ago.

According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Modesto was priced at $3.79/gallon while the most expensive was $5.39, a difference of $1.60/gallon. The lowest price in the state on Sept. 16 was $3.73 while the highest was $6.79, a difference of $3.06/gallon.

The national average price of gasoline has fallen 6.9 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.15/gallon. The national average is down 26.2 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 70.5 cents per gallon lower than a year ago, according to GasBuddy data compiled from more than 11 million weekly price reports covering over 150,000 gas stations across the country.

Neighboring areas and their current gas prices include: Stockton - $4.65/gallon, up 11.0 cents per gallon from last week’s $4.54; Oakland - $4.96, up 15.4 cents from $4.80; and San Jose - $4.87/gallon, up 12.4 cents from last week’s $4.74/gallon.

Historical gasoline prices in Modesto and the national average going back 10 years show the highest Modesto price was $5.33 per gallon on Sept. 16, 2022 and the highest U.S. average price of $3.85 per gallon was recorded on Sept. 16, 2023. Lowest price in Modesto was $2.60 on Sept. 16, 2016; lowest national price was $2.17 on Sept. 16, 2020.

“With the change to winter gasoline happening at most stations across the country, the outlook is bright for the national average to continue to make a run at falling to $2.99 per gallon for the first time since 2021,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “But while nearly all states are seeing prices drop, refinery maintenance and some outages at California refineries have led to tight supply and rising prices – a situation I hope can be remedied by the end of the month and help California join in on the decline.”

GasBuddy’s survey updates 288 times every day from the most diverse list of sources covering nearly 150,000 stations nationwide, the most comprehensive and up-to-date in the country.