Though still well below the price of a year ago, the prices at area pumps did see a sharp jump in recent days.

Average gasoline prices in Modesto have risen 15.8 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $4.17/gallon on Jan. 20, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 201 stations in Modesto. The pump prices in Modesto are 19.9 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand 10.5 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has increased 8.1 cents in the last week and stands at $3.60 per gallon.

According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Modesto was priced at $3.73/gallon while the most expensive was $4.99, a difference of $1.26/gallon. The lowest price in the state was $3.39 while the highest was $8.09, a difference of $4.70/gallon.

The national average price of gasoline has risen 6.5 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.09/gallon on Jan. 20. The national average is up 4.5 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 1.8 cents per gallon higher than a year ago, according to GasBuddy data compiled from more than 11 million weekly price reports covering over 150,000 gas stations across the country.

“It was only a matter of time before the national average began to rise, with oil prices last week reaching their highest level since July. Diesel prices have also jumped, driven by cold weather that has boosted heating oil demand,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “However, the current increase is not yet the traditional seasonal rise, which is also likely to push prices higher and could begin in a few weeks.”

Neighboring areas and their current gas prices include: Stockton - $4.13/gallon, up 4.4 cents from $4.08; Oakland - $4.38, up 8.5 cents from last week’s $4.30; and San Jose - $4.33, up 5.6 cents per gallon from last week’s $4.28/gallon.

Historical gasoline prices in Modesto and the national average going back 10 years show the highest Jan. 20 price in Modesto was $4.39/gallon in 2022 while the lowest was $2.32 in 2015. Highest U.S. average on Jan. 20 was $3.40/gallon in 2023 and the lowest of $1.87/gallon was recorded in 2016.

GasBuddy is the authoritative voice for gas prices and the only source for station-level data. GasBuddy’s survey updates 288 times every day from the most diverse list of sources covering nearly 150,000 stations nationwide, the most comprehensive and up-to-date in the country.