MD Gas Prices Break Record At More Than $4 Per Gallon: AAA

MARYLAND — Gas prices reached record levels in Maryland on Monday as the national and state average passed $4 per gallon for the first time in more than a decade.

AAA Mid-Atlantic said the average gas price in Maryland hit $4.09 a gallon Monday, breaking the state's record of $4.04 set on June 17, 2008.

The average retail price of a gallon of regular, self-service gasoline in Maryland increased 9 cents overnight, 44 cents in the past week, 65 cents in the past month, and is $1.28 higher than one year ago, according to AAA.

GasBuddy said Monday that the average gas price in Maryland was $4.16 a gallon.

“As the conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues, the price of crude oil continues to climb, as well, translating to more pain at the pump for American drivers,” said Ragina Cooper Ali, spokeswoman for AAA Mid-Atlantic in Washington, D.C. and Maryland, in a statement. “Unfortunately for motorists, AAA expects the upward current trend to persist, as economic indicators continue to point to higher crude oil and gasoline prices for the remainder of winter and into the spring.”

GasBuddy said Maryland ranks 17th among the states for the cost of gasoline.

The average retail price of a gallon of regular, self-service gasoline in Maryland increased 5 cents overnight, 50 cents in the past week, 69 cents in the past month, and is $1.32 higher than one year ago, a AAA news release said.

As the conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues, the price of crude oil continues to soar, leading to record high pump prices, AAA experts said.

The average retail price of a gallon of regular, self-service gasoline in Washington, D.C. reached an all-time high today of $4.22, breaking the old record of $4.20, which was reached on May 12, 2011. Today’s District price is 7 cents more than Sunday, 45 cents more than last week, 60 cents more than a month ago, and $1.29 more than a year ago.

The cost of a gallon of mid-grade gas is $4.43, premium gas is $4.70 and diesel fuel is $4.69 in Maryland, according to AAA's site.

In Maryland, the average price for a gallon of gas reached $4.16 on Monday, according to GasBuddy.

The average price of a gallon of regular gas Monday across Maryland are:

• Anne Arundel County: $4.13
• Baltimore City: $4.05
• Baltimore County: $4.05
• Harford County: $4.07
• Howard County: $4.15
• Montgomery County: $4.17
• Prince George's County: $4.10

Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska all are averaging between $4.39 and $4.69 per gallon. Illinois’ price-per-gallon comes in slightly cheaper than Connecticut ($4.28 per gallon) and New York ($4.26) and experts predict that the state could surpass the $5 per gallon price point by this summer.

The increases mark the largest price hikes since Hurricane Katrina hit the U.S. Gulf Coast in 2005, devastating the nation's oil and gas industry, according to CNN.

"This is not the end of it. We're already up another 14 cents on wholesale gas prices this morning," Tom Kloza, a global petroleum analyst, told CNN on Friday. "It's absolutely out of control."

The price of a gallon of gas varies dramatically based on where you live. In California, the average price for a gallon of gas hit a staggering $5.07 on Friday, according to AAA, making it the first state ever to have an average price above $5 a gallon.