The average price of a gallon of gas in Minnesota jumped 13 cents overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday. The price has remained high nationwide amid the ongoing war with Iran and closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
A gallon of regular gas averaged $3.93 in Minnesota Wednesday, up from about $3.80 Tuesday, according to AAA. Many gas stations in the Twin Cities are over four dollars a gallon.
Drivers stopped at 36 Lyn Refuel Station in south Minneapolis, at the corner of 36th Street and Lyndale Avenue, to buy gas for $3.79 a gallon.
“This one has lower prices than most. I know that they do match like match pricing with Costco and stuff. So if I can't make it to Costco, I come here. It's more convenient for the area, but, yeah, a lot cheaper than most places,” Ella Rouillard said.
Rouillard is from Minneapolis and works with unhoused youth at the YMCA Youth and Family Services. She said the price of gas greatly affects the people she works with, who are typically about 18-24 years old.
“A lot of youth are couch hopping or living in their cars. So a lot of youth need gas in order to provide themselves a safe place to stay,” she said.
She said the YMCA has been providing more gas cards for them.
Another driver, Arnulfo Flores, who lives in St. Paul, said gas prices have affected the way he lives.
“I mean, who can afford to put $50 to fill your cars up anymore? My truck, it's almost $100. I'm living on a fixed budget, you know. I'm retired, I'm living on my social security,” Flores said. “It affects how much you want to go out and about and everything.”
The national average is about $4.23 a gallon.
“It's very overwhelming. I'm making do because I don't have a choice,” Natasha Haul said, at a gas station in West St. Paul, where gas is $3.95.
Diesel prices are also inching up in Minnesota, now averaging $5.04 a gallon. That’s up about three cents over the past week.
