Gas Prices Keep Rising in Northern Virginia

From Lorton to Manassas Park, Arlington to Leesburg, drivers have one thing (besides lots of traffic) in common: The price of gas is rising rapidly.

Gas prices rose Tuesday for the 14th straight day, and the average in some parts of the United States is now $3.51, says a daily survey by the American Automobile Association.

That number is up 8/10 of a cent since Monday. Gas prices have risen nearly 15 cents in the first week of March and rose 27 cents in February.

Gas prices are on the rise because of the increase in the price of crude oil, as well as nervousness about the unrest in Libya and other Middle East countries. Prices also vary widely by state because of differing gas tax amounts. California has  the highest gas prices in the nation with residents paying an average of  $3.90 a gallon. The lowest prices are in Wyoming  where the average is $3.19. For AAA's gas price comparison by state, click here.

Northern Virginia falls somewhere at or just above average.

Manassass Park boasts some of the cheapest gasoline prices. The CITGO at Manassas Drive and Centreville Road in Manassas Park is selling regular unleaded fuel for $3.47 a gallon. Gas is $3.44 a gallon at four stations in Manassas.

This is significantlly lower than other areas of Northern Virginia. Gas is $3.56 at the Exxon on Baron Cameron in Reston and $3.59 at an Exxon on Chain Bridge Road in Oakton.

In DC, prices are inching near the $4 mark, with a gallon of regular unleaded going for $3.86 at an Exxon on MacArthur Boulevard in Northwest.

The increase in gas prices hasn’t stopped Stan McGurrin from driving his Chevrolet Suburban. McGurrin, 49, of Falls Church, said he needs the large SUV to transport his three children to school in the mornings and sporting events on the weekends.

“I don’t have much of a choice in this,” McGurrin said. “I need something this big to get t hem to all of their activities and to school. Even if I wanted something smaller, with all of the baseball equipment I need a big truck.”

Ed Fleming of Great Falls is also an SUV driver. He filled up his gas tank of his Cadillac Escalade Tuesday at an Exxon in Reston. Total cost: $62.00.

"I've always driven SUVs," he said. "Gas prices have been up and down. It hasn't affected my driving yet. But it might in the future in this economy."

Janice Tolefson, 29, of Arlington, says she is tempted to ride public transportation to her job in Washington, D.C.  Before the price hike, she spent about $45 for a fill up. Since the increases, she’s spending close to $60, she said.

“It’s just crazy,” she said Tuesday morning while filling up her Toyota Camry. “By the time I fill up my tank and paid for parking, I could have bought a bus pass and not had to pay an arm and a leg. I hope it’s not this bad when summer rolls around.”

For an up-to-the-minute look at gas prices in your area, go to GasBuddy. The site also has a mobile and iPhone app that can guide you to the cheapest gas while you are on the road.

GasBuddy is reporting a huge increase in web traffic to levels not seen since the rise in prices following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. It reports that 2 million unique visitors were on the site on Monday, and the smartphone app has been downloaded upwards of 10,000 times per hour.

                                 AREA GAS PRICE SNAPSHOT

What are the gas prices like in your neighborhood? Has it affected your driving habits?