A driver in an unnamed location reported a $1.00 per gallon increase in gasoline prices over a ten-day period in late February and early March, jumping from $2.49 on February 28th to $3.49 on March 9th.
The reported price surge occurred as national gasoline prices were already exhibiting upward trends. According to data from YCharts, the average California retail gasoline price was $4.128 per gallon on January 31st, 2026, rising to $4.454 per gallon by February 28th, 2026. This represents a 7.90% increase in one month.
The Energy Information Administration (EIA) tracks weekly U.S. Gasoline prices, but data available through March 15th, 2026, does not corroborate the specific $1.00 increase reported by the driver. However, historical data from Macrotrends shows significant price volatility in previous years, with similar rapid increases occurring during peak demand seasons.
GasBuddy’s price charts allow for comparison of gas and crude oil prices over time, but do not provide localized data to verify the driver’s experience. The AAA Gas Price Finder offers tools to locate cheaper gas and view state and national averages, but does not offer retrospective price verification for specific dates and locations.
The California retail gas price for February 2026 was reported as $4.454 per gallon on February 24th, 2026, with the next release of data scheduled for March 17th, 2026. This suggests that more detailed price information for the period in question will develop into available shortly.
