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Gas prices have climbed sharply in recent weeks, pushing the national average to $3.97 a gallon and prices above $5 in parts of California.
At a BP station on Langston Boulevard in Arlington, regular gas was selling for $3.79 a gallon on March 25. The Washington metropolitan area averaged just over $4, up from $3.84 a week earlier and $2.90 a month earlier.
Station owner Gus Odum, who has operated the BP for 14 years, said gas has risen by about $1 a gallon since the Iran War began. He explained that the amount his station pays for fuel deliveries changes daily, which can produce different pump prices even between neighboring stations.
“The price we charge depends on the delivery date and how much profit we want to make,” Odum said. A station receiving a more expensive delivery may charge more than one next door that bought its fuel on a different day.
Odum said he prefers lower prices and higher sales volume. He hopes fuel customers will also visit the station’s snack market or use its body shop and vehicle-inspection services, which generate much of his profit.
The latest increase is another dramatic swing in a volatile business. Odum recalled selling gas for $4.50 a gallon in 2008, while prices at his station dropped as low as $1.99 during the COVID-19 pandemic.