Tampa Bay Area Gas Prices On the Decline

Tampa Bay, FL — Tampa Bay area residents with big road trip plans this summer are likely to find paying at the pump a little less painful than last year.

Gas prices throughout Florida and in the Tampa Bay area have been on the decline for days and the trend is anticipated to continue, according to AAA. Just before the 4th of July holiday weekend kicked off, AAA reported gas prices across the country had continued to drop for 16 days in a row despite an especially high demand. The numbers came in at an 11-year low.

“Strong demand can put additional pressure on refineries, and their ability to sustain output and keep gasoline flowing to markets directly impacts the price consumers pay at the pump,” AAA noted in a pre-holiday media release. “However, the refineries are reportedly increasing output and gasoline supply has more than kept pace with growing demand.”

That ability to keep up evidently held true over the holiday weekend with the average price of gas in Florida at $2.231 on Monday. That average price fell to $2.228 by Tuesday. Tuesday’s number is down from the month ago average of $2.346 and the year ago average of $2.672, according to AAA.

In the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater area motorists will find gas prices even lower than the state average. The average price at the pump in the region was $2.153, according to AAA. That number is down from $2.310 a month ago and from the year ago average of $2.573.

Prices are also lower than the state average in the Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice area. The price Tuesday was $2.164 in that area, down from $2.314 a month ago. The average price a year ago was $2.667.

Florida’s record highest average price for a gallon of regular is $4.079. The record was set on July 16, 2008, according to AAA.