On Monday, the average price of a gallon of regular unleaded was $3.88 statewide

Timothy Schumann
The Center Square Washington

After over ten straight weeks of price declines Washington state fuel prices are still among the highest in the nation and rank fourth among the 50 states.

On Monday, the average price of a gallon of regular unleaded was $3.88 statewide, down from $3.94 the week prior, according to AAA data. This 6 cents per gallon decrease was markedly lower than last week’s decline of 16 cents per gallon.

Compared with the national average of $3.10 per gallon, Washington’s $3.88 price is 78 cents per gallon higher than the average. This is a full $1.24 off the nation’s least expensive fuel costs of $2.64 per gallon currently paid by Texans.

Again this week, Washington finds itself firmly in the top ten most expensive fuel markets nationwide. Holding at fourth from the week prior, Washington’s pump prices were only beat out by Nevada, California and Hawaii.

In the Evergreen State intra-state variance remains high, spanning a range of $1.09 per gallon. The outliers this week are, for only the second time since The Center Square began reporting on fuel prices in Washington state, both on the same side of the Cascade Range.

San Juan County and Skagit County, which are geographically adjacent separated only by portions of the Salish Sea, represent the most and least expensive gas prices statewide at $4.39 and $3.30 per gallon respectively.

Other than the exception of Skagit county, this price variance still largely follows the Cascade Range, with residents to the west paying a higher premium at the pump than residents to the east.

Washington state residents also have a new cap-and-trade tax that starts  Jan. 1 which, as previously reported by The Center Square, would drive fuel costs up an estimated 46 cents per gallon. This will come on top of Washington’s current rate of 49.4 cents per gallon of state tax.

This report was first published by The Center Square Washington.