With prices averaging at $4.67 for a gallon of unleaded gasoline in Chicago, the Windy City's are once again the highest in the country.
The $4.67 average marks a new record for the city, too, according to Fox Chicago. AAA blames the spike on instability in the Middle East, growing demand in Asia and the high cost of switching to more expensive, summer fuel blends.
“Think of it sort like a clearance sale. We have an old product—winter gasoline that’s being clearanced out," Patrick DeHaan, Senior Petroleum Analyst for gasbuddy.com, told WBEZ. "And as that clearance occurs, new merchandise--more expensive merchandise--summer gasoline is hitting the shelves or in this case hitting the pumps."
The previous record, set in May of 2011, was at $4.65 per gallon, WBEZ reports.
Just west of the North Avenue Beach, two gas stations, one Shell, one BP, boast the highest per-gallon prices at $4.88, CBS Chicago reports.
The national average is only $3.89, according to CBS.
Fox reports that gas is cheaper in the suburbs, averaging around $4.51 per gallon, and flagged the cheapest downtown gas station at 11th and Racine, where the price is $4.39 a gallon.
In light of this sobering news, Chicago driving blog The Expired Meter rounded up some tips to help cash-strapped drivers maximize their MPGs, including avoiding rush hour, sticking to the speed limit and using high-quality motor oil.
Chicago earned the same title this time last year, with the highest gas prices in the U.S. at $4.27 per gallon.
At that time, Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk called for a mix of permanent tax credits and continued offshore drilling to help bring down the market price of gasoline.