Gas prices down for Memorial Day, but Arizonans paying more than most of US

PHOENIX — While much of the country is seeing the lowest Memorial Day gas prices in years, Arizona isn’t so lucky.

More than 970,000 Arizonans are expected to drive more than 50 miles from home over the holiday weekend, according to AAA.

The national average was about $3.20 per gallon as of Thursday morning, according to AAA, but it was $3.38 in the Grand Canyon State.

Only seven states have a higher average than Arizona.

The good news is that Arizona prices are down about 50 cents from the same time in 2024.

“While gas prices have been going up in the last couple of weeks in Arizona because those refinery issues in California, the good news is we’re still spending a lot less than last year,” Patrick De Haan, the head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy, told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Wednesday.

Collectively, Americans are spending around $175 million less on gasoline each day compared to 2024, he added.

How long will Arizona drivers deal with high gas prices?

De Haan said Arizona gas prices are in for a bumpy ride, in part because of a February fire at a northern California refinery.

“That refinery was in the process of restarting a couple of weeks ago when it suffered another fire and that is what caused prices to go up,” he said.

He predicts it will take a while before gas prices fall across the board in metro Phoenix.

There’s a silver lining, though: Gasoline is coming to the West Coast from Asia.

“Those resupplies will, in the short-term, I think, as we get into the month of June, probably offer a little bit of a a break,” De Haan said.

However, it’s hard for him to predict due to potential refinery issues.

“In a worst-case scenario, we still could see a $4 gallon average because of some of these issues,” De Haan said. “It’s just really unpredictable.”

One way to save on gas is to take advantage of a limited-time discount on gas prices from Circle K. Those who are members of the gas station’s rewards program can get up to 40 cents off each gallon from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday.

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