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Oregon, Washington gas prices likely to jump still higher ahead of holiday weekend

 A sign displays gas prices. The cost is $4.39 and 9/10ths per gallon of regular when paying cash.
Chris Lehman
/
KLCC
A sign displays fuel prices in Eugene on June 14, 2023.

Oregon and Washington continue to rank among the states with the highest gas prices as the Labor Day weekend approaches.

Oregon had the fourth-most expensive gas at $4.76 a gallon as of Aug. 29, according to data from AAA. It follows California ($5.29), Washington ($5.10) and Hawaii ($4.78). The national average measured at $3.82.

The Medford region had the highest average price in Oregon at about $4.85 — just a cent more than Portland’s average. Over the state border, Vancouver had an average of nearly $5.10.

The West Coast usually sees the highest gas prices because it’s relatively far from oil-producing parts of the country, according to AAA.

Nationally, crude oil prices have simmered after a recent increase, which was largely driven by a cut in Middle East oil production this spring.

Although national prices may be holding steady, drivers should expect a jump closer to Labor Day Weekend, as more people book flights and plan road trips. Prices might also be impacted by storms in the Gulf Coast, where about half of the country’s oil is refined, as well as by recent heat waves.

Prices typically decrease slightly in September when refineries switch to winter-fuel blends, which have a higher butane percentage and are therefore cheaper to make. The mixture is designed for lower temperatures.
Copyright 2023 Oregon Public Broadcasting.

A gas station attendant helps a driver fill up their tank at a gas station in Portland, Ore., Aug. 4, 2023.
Claire Rush /
A gas station attendant helps a driver fill up their tank at a gas station in Portland, Ore., Aug. 4, 2023.

April Ehrlich began freelancing for Jefferson Public Radio in the fall of 2016, and then officially joined the team as its Morning Edition Host and a Jefferson Exchange producer in August 2017.