Gas prices continue to rise across the U.S., and Bay Area costs remain higher than any other metro region in the nation, with the potential for reaching $7 a gallon, experts say.
The average price for a gallon of regular gas in California was $6.24 as of Friday morning, according to AAA. The national average was up to $4.71.
Bay Area prices range from $6.27 in Solano County to $6.51 in Napa County. Among the Bay Area's three largest cities, San Francisco's average price is highest at $6.50, followed by San Jose at $6.38 and Oakland at $6.37.
But are these prices around to stay?
Experts say the ongoing conflict in Ukraine continues to keep prices high because supply is down. And now with many folks wanting to hit the road for summer vacations, relief may not come anytime soon.
"I think we will see $6.50 for maybe the next week or so, and prices could continue to march higher than that at some point," said Patrick De Haan of Gas Buddy. "Should we see a refinery outage or a major hurricane, that the average could reach $7 a gallon."
One important note: On July 1, a California gas tax takes effect, adding 3 cents a gallon to those record prices.
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