California gasoline prices have surpassed $6 per gallon, reaching a three-year high!

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California's average gasoline price has surpassed $6 per gallon for the first time, becoming the most direct reflection of the surge in oil prices nationwide and highlighting the profound impact the Iran war has had on the global energy supply chain.

According to data from the American Automobile Association, California's average price for regular gasoline has risen to $6.01 per gallon, its highest level since October 2023. At the onset of the war, gasoline was priced at $4.64 per gallon in the state, an increase of nearly 30%. Currently, no other state has broken the $6 threshold.

Rising oil prices are evolving into a significant political risk for the Trump administration, especially as the pressure intensifies approaching the midterm elections; at the same time, they could negatively affect the political prospects of California's governor, Democrat Gavin Newsom, who is widely expected to run in the 2028 presidential election.

Brent crude futures are now quoted at $109, gradually approaching previous highs.

Strait of Hormuz blockade persists, oil price rebound pressure remains

At the beginning of April, as expectations for an Iranian ceasefire and reopening of the Strait of Hormuz heated up, oil prices briefly retreated. The Strait of Hormuz is an important global energy corridor, with about a quarter of the world’s maritime oil shipments passing through.

However, Washington later signaled it would maintain the blockade, causing oil prices to rebound, with U.S. gasoline prices soaring to their highest levels since the outbreak of the war.

Trump previously stated that if the Strait of Hormuz reopened, oil prices would fall. Energy Secretary Chris Wright also said last week that he believed gasoline prices had peaked in mid-April.

California’s supply structure is fragile, energy predicament worsens

California’s fuel supply conditions are more severe than those in other U.S. states. The state lacks pipelines bringing fuel from the Gulf Coast, and since October 2025, two refineries have shut down in succession, cutting about 20% of the state’s refining capacity.

Currently, local diesel prices have surpassed $7 per gallon, setting a record. Even so, California's gasoline price is still lower than the historical peak of $6.438 reached in June 2022.

High oil prices are not only pressuring the Trump administration, but also creating political trouble for California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat.

Newsom is widely expected to run in the 2028 presidential election, and the surge in oil prices has sparked widespread resentment in California, the most populous state in the U.S., potentially impacting his political prospects.

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