In the week ending May 16, one gas station in Santa Cruz County sold midgrade gas at the lowest reported price of $5.89 per gallon, according to customer reports submitted to GasBuddy.
Countywide, midgrade gas averaged $6.41 per gallon.
GasBuddy reports show that midgrade gas was available at 43 of the 71 reported gas stations in Santa Cruz County.
Statewide, midgrade gas averaged $6.28 per gallon for the week ending May 16, up from the previous week.
Drivers in the United States have faced volatile gas prices in recent years as global oil markets reacted to wars, sanctions, refinery outages and shifting fuel demand. Russia’s war on Ukraine and sanctions targeting Russian oil exports contributed to supply concerns, while more recent tensions in the Middle East and disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have added further pressure to crude oil and gasoline prices in 2026. Analysts have also pointed to refinery maintenance and seasonal travel demand as factors contributing to regional price fluctuations across the country.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration said gasoline prices continue to react to both international oil markets and domestic fuel supply conditions. Analysts monitoring the energy market have pointed to refinery utilization rates, U.S. crude oil inventories, OPEC+ production policies and seasonal driving demand as factors influencing fuel costs in 2026, particularly during periods of refinery outages or shipping disruptions affecting global oil supplies.
Gas price data reflects cash payments. Some stations may charge higher prices for credit card transactions due to processing fees, though such surcharges are prohibited in some states and territories.
Data is accurate as of press time, but gas prices have been known to fluctuate on a daily, and even hourly, basis.
Information in this article was obtained from GasBuddy. The source data can be found here.
