Hit the road, Jack! California gas prices rise to $4 a gallon

Gas prices are rallying in America’s most populous state as motorists hit the road amid easing pandemic restrictions – with possible cost spillover effects for the rest of the country.

California gasoline prices rose to $4 a gallon for the first time in a year and a half as more motorists hit the road amid easing pandemic restrictions in the most-populous U.S. state. The price in the most-expensive U.S. fuel market is up about 10 cents over the last month, according to AAA, amid a rally in crude oil and expanding fuel demand nationwide. Gasoline consumption across the country is on track for its third straight monthly increase, which would be the longest streak since last summer, Energy Information Administration figures showed. Although California is alone among the 50 states in reaching the $4 mark, the rise may bode ill for the rest of the nation. Demand already is at the highest since pandemic lockdowns began kicking in early last year and as more cities and states relax virus restrictions, the economic activity that underpins energy demand is expected to blossom.