California Gas Prices
Current Price:
$3.450
per gallon
Current Price
$3.450
per gallon
Federal Tax
$0.184
per gallon
PADD Region
R50
PADD 5 - West Coast
California Gasoline Price Breakdown
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Base Price (crude oil, refining, distribution, marketing) | $3.266/gal |
| Federal Excise Tax (all states) | $0.184/gal |
| Approximate Price at Pump | $3.450/gal |
Note: Pump price includes state excise taxes, state sales taxes, and other local fees which vary by state and are incorporated in the regional average.
How California Gasoline Prices Are Measured
Gasoline prices come from two independent sources that measure differently:
AAA Daily Average
Based on over 100,000 gas stations nationwide. Updated daily using actual pump prices reported by stations and credit card transaction data.
- Update frequency: Daily
- Granularity: State-level (all 50 states + DC)
- Methodology: Station-reported pump prices
EIA Weekly Survey
Published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. California falls within PADD 5 - West Coast, one of five Petroleum Administration for Defense Districts (PADDs).
- Update frequency: Weekly (Mondays)
- Granularity: State-level
- Methodology: Volume-weighted survey of ~900 retail outlets per region
California is an EIA State-Reported Market
California is one of only 9 states where the EIA publishes state-specific gasoline data (the others are Texas, Florida, New York, Ohio, Minnesota, Colorado, Massachusetts, Washington). This means our API can provide more precise regional data for California alongside the AAA daily average. Even state-level sources can differ by $0.05–$0.30 due to different survey methodologies, sample sizes, and reporting timeframes.
Gas Prices in California Cities
Find gasoline prices in major California cities:
Los Angeles
Population: 3,979,576
View gas prices →
San Diego
Population: 1,423,851
View gas prices →
San Jose
Population: 1,035,317
View gas prices →
San Francisco
Population: 881,549
View gas prices →
Fresno
Population: 542,107
View gas prices →
Sacramento
Population: 524,943
View gas prices →
Long Beach
Population: 466,742
View gas prices →
Oakland
Population: 433,031
View gas prices →
Get California Gas Prices via API
from oilpriceapi import OilPriceAPI
client = OilPriceAPI(api_key="YOUR_API_KEY")
# Get California gasoline state average
price = client.prices.get_latest(
by_code="GASOLINE_RETAIL_STATE_CA_USD"
)
print(f"California gas: ${price.price}/gal")
# Get national gasoline average
national = client.prices.get_latest(by_code="GASOLINE_USD")
print(f"US average: ${national.price}/gal")Frequently Asked Questions
Why is gas relatively affordable in California?
California gasoline is $3.450/gal. Prices in California are influenced by its location in the PADD 5 - West Coast, proximity to refineries, local state and county taxes, and regional supply and demand dynamics.
What cities in California have the cheapest gas?
Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose typically have competitive gasoline prices. View city-specific pages for the latest prices.
Can I get real-time California gas prices?
Yes! Use our API to get state-level gasoline price averages updated daily from AAA data, or national averages updated every 15 minutes. API code for California: GASOLINE_RETAIL_STATE_CA_USD
Related Pages
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