With average gasoline prices in Modesto rising 32.0 cents per gallon in the last week, the price at the pump is nearly 50 cents higher than just last month.

Local prices for gasoline averaged $4.62/gallon as of Feb. 17, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 201 stations in Modesto. Prices in Modesto are 48.7 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand 36.9 cents per gallon higher than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has increased 0.8 cents in the last week and stands at $3.63 per gallon.

According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Modesto was priced at $3.89/gallon while the most expensive was $5.39, a difference of $1.50/gallon. The lowest price in the state was $3.57 while the highest was $6.59, a difference of $3.02/gallon.

Neighboring areas and their current gas prices include: Stockton - $4.69/gallon, up 42.3 cents per gallon from last week’s $4.27; Oakland - $4.95, up 38.1 cents from $4.57; and San Jose - $4.86, up 38.7 cents per gallon from last week’s $4.47/gallon.

The national average price of gasoline has risen 2.2 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.11/gallon on Feb. 17. The national average is unchanged from a month ago and stands 16.5 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.

Historical gasoline prices in Modesto and the national average going back ten years show the lowest Modesto average price of $2.03 per gallon was on Feb. 17, 2016 and the highest of $4.40 per gallon was in 2022. Lowest U.S. average of $1.71 per gallon was on Feb. 17, 2016 and the highest of $3.51 was in 2022.

“The national average has inched higher, driven primarily by sharp gas price increases on the West Coast, where refinery maintenance and outages have created a ripple effect in neighboring states, pushing prices higher in many communities,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “While most of the country has experienced a relatively quiet week for gas prices, the West Coast has seen rapid increases— a trend that should slow in the coming days. Although the surge remains isolated to the West for now, refinery maintenance will soon begin in other regions, and with the transition to summer gasoline blends underway, prices in most areas are likely to start rising in the weeks ahead.”

GasBuddy is the authoritative voice for gas prices and the only source for station-level data. 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.