Compared to the rest of the country, Arizonans are paying 16 cents more per gallon of gas on average.
AAA spokesperson spokesperson Julian Paredes said each county felt the increase to varying degrees.
“Prices across Arizona actually went up by 4 cents in the last week, now about $3.20 to a gallon,” he said. “The national average dropped by 2 cents to about $3.06.”
But Maricopa County’s rise in demand stands out.
“The main increase was in Maricopa County,” said Paredes. “So the other counties weren’t impacted as much, so that state average is really driven by Maricopa. So there’s probably something happening locally.”
He said while there’s no clear explanation for the hike in price, certain things clearly contribute.
“I’d imagine it has something to do with the extra tourism we’re seeing in the Valley,” Paredes said. “Phoenix is definitely expected to be one of the busiest cities in the country. We have great weather right now, so maybe the snowbirds have something to do with that extra demand.”
Despite the spike in Maricopa County, Paredes added, gas is most expensive in Gila County at $3.39 a gallon on average.”
