Fort Lauderdale, FL – The price of gas finally tipped downward this week, but only just. A drastic price decline in the Midwest served to distort prices in a week where most drivers actually saw price increases. The cost of fuel, nationwide, dropped about a penny and a half to settle at $2.26, according to the weekly fuel price survey by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The E.I.A. report shows a near-seven cent decline in prices across the Midwest is largely responsible for the pull on the national average. Elsewhere, prices were either flat or up about a penny. Prices across the Rocky Mountain states were up nearly three cents.

The cost of diesel went up strongly on the week, putting more pressure on haulers. The weekly E.I.A. price survey shows diesel shot up almost four cents per gallon this week, and now sits at $2.48. That is a nearly ten cent increase in just two weeks.

Regional cost averages for both gasoline and diesel are listed below, ranked from highest to lowest price.

Regional Gasoline Averages:

$2.679: PADD 5 WEST COAST (INCL. CA)
$2.461: PADD 5 WEST COAST (W/O CA)
$2.269: PADD 4 ROCKY MOUNTAIN
$2.263: PADD 1b CENTRAL ATLANTIC
$2.247: PADD 1a NEW ENGLAND
$2.237: PADD 1 EAST COAST
$2.216: PADD 1c LOWER ATLANTIC
$2.155: PADD 2 MIDWEST
$2.043: PADD 3 GULF COAST

Regional Diesel Averages:

$2.742: PADD 5 WEST COAST
$2.579: PADD 1b CENTRAL ATLANTIC
$2.546: PADD 4 ROCKY MOUNTAIN
$2.477: PADD 1a NEW ENGLAND
$2.472: PADD 1 EAST COAST
$2.458: PADD 2 MIDWEST
$2.389: PADD 1c LOWER ATLANTIC
$2.357: PADD 3 GULF COAST

Note: PADD is an acronym for Petroleum Administration for Defense Districts.