LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Gas prices surged across Southern California this week, with the statewide average climbing above $5 per gallon and some drivers encountering prices more than $8 at the pump.
The national average has risen nearly 50 cents a gallon in the week since the war in Iran began, according to AAA. The organization said prices were already trending upward with typical seasonal patterns when the joint U.S.-Israel attack on Iran drove oil prices higher.
"I mean, I drive Uber and I'm just getting killed right now, and I mean gas prices are just so high ... they were high before the war," one driver said.
The average price of a gallon of gas in California is now over $5. In Los Angeles County, it has reached $5.17 - a 17-cent jump overnight.
Prices stand at $5.15 in Orange County and $5.06 in Riverside County.
"Hopefully, something happens about it. I really can't do nothing but complain," driver Michale Terry said.
At one of the lowest-priced stations Eyewitness News spotted, the American Oil station in Exposition Park, gas hovered just above $4 a gallon.
"I'm always searching for cheaper gas, so right now that's how Los Angeles working," driver Deejay Brown said.
Just a few miles away, however, a Chevron station in downtown Los Angeles was charging $8.21 a gallon, leaving some drivers stunned.
"It's insane, insane work ... it's too too high. I definitely won't be coming here for that," driver Denise Rodriguez said. Matt Jozwiak, visiting from New York, added, "I just actually could not believe my eyes when I saw that $8 that is wild."
Experts note that California's regulatory policies and reduced in-state gasoline production are also contributing to the spike.
GasBuddy.com remains a resource for drivers searching for the cheapest prices nearby.
