WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Florida's statewide gas average has jumped 14 cents in one week to $3.86 a gallon — the highest in four years — tied to military action in Iran and disruption of Middle East oil.
Gas prices in Palm Beach County are climbing, and drivers are feeling it. According to AAA, the county's average is now at $4 a gallon, and prices are running among the highest in the state, second only to what drivers are paying in the Florida Keys at $4.11.
WATCH BELOW: Palm Beach County gas prices hit $4 a gallon
RELATED: WPTV Gas Price Tracker
AAA reports the current statewide average of $3.86 a gallon is up 23 cents from last week's average of $3.63 and more than a dollar more per gallon than last month's average of $2.84.
The jump is tied to military action in Iran and the disruption of Middle East oil supplies — even as oil supplies in the U.S. remain unaffected and steady, AAA says.
"Since this conflict began, the state average has surged almost a dollar per gallon, going from $2.88 at the beginning of March to $3.86 on Tuesday, which adds about $15 to the average cost of a tank of gas," AAA spokesperson Mark Jenkins said.
In Palm Beach County, it is common to see gas just under $4 a gallon — or over it. Seeing the numbers on the signs is getting a reaction from drivers.
A truck driver named Glen said the prices are hitting him harder.
"That's wild," Glen told WPTV on Tuesday. "I have to work around it."
Senior citizens are also feeling the pinch.
"When you're a senior citizen. It's a lot to pay for gas these days. Absolutely, what are you going to do?" one driver said.
WHY ARE GAS PRICES HIGHER IN PALM BEACH COUNTY?
As for why Palm Beach County prices rank among the state's highest, AAA points to the cost of doing business locally.
"Retailers have a lot of different methods for figuring out what they charge at the pump, but a big portion of that is based on the cost of owning and operating a business in a given city so if the cost of keeping the lights on is more expensive in West Palm Beach then the cost of services is typically higher as well," Jenkins said.
For comparison, Miami-Dade County's average gas prices were 18 cents cheaper than Palm Beach County on Tuesday, averaging $3.82.
Predicting whether gas prices will go higher — or when they will eventually start to come down — is difficult to say. But every time prices tick up, it stings a little bit more for drivers.
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