Gas prices fall below $3 a gallon in Sonoma County

Just in time for a busy holiday weekend, gas in Santa Rosa can be found for as little as $2.55 a gallon - but it's a bit more in Sonoma Valley.|

Gas Prices in Sonoma

According to June 27 figures from

gasbuddy.com, the cheapest regular gas in Sonoma Valley:

Kenwood SuperGas, 8850 Sonoma Hwy.,

$2.79 (cash price)

Beacon, 18618 Sonoma Hwy. at Siesta,

$2.96

Valero, 18605 Sonoma Hwy. at Siesta,

$2.97 (cash price)

Bonneau, 23003 Arnold Dr. & Bonneau Rd,

$3.03

Bonneau, 19080 Arnold Dr. & Grove St.,

$3.03

76 Gas, 19249 Sonoma Hwy. at Ramon,

$3.06

As America prepares for a pyrotechnic celebration of its 241st birthday, motorists are getting a bigger bang for their buck at the gas station.

The average price of a gallon of regular in California dipped below $3 last week and was at $2.96 on Monday, 14 cents lower than a month ago, according to a report by AAA that cited continued low prices for crude oil as a major factor. In Santa Rosa, the average price was a penny above $3 Monday, but down 17 cents from a month ago.

GasBuddy reported prices at pumps in Santa Rosa ranging from $2.75 to $3.29 for a gallon of regular gas Monday, suggesting it pays to shop around with a difference of $6.48 for a 12-gallon fill-up. At Costco on Santa Rosa Avenue the price for members-only was $2.55.

At the high end locally, the Shell station on Nave Drive in Novato had it for a whopping $4.19 a gallon.

Lower gas prices are good news for the 4 million Californians expected to drive more than 50 miles over the July Fourth weekend, AAA said.

“With the falling gas prices, great weather and high demand, Uncle Sam’s birthday truly could be a historic travel weekend in California,” said Michael Blasky, a spokesman for the travel industry organization.

Cheap crude oil - under $50 a barrel and at a 10-month low in price - combined with abundant supply and relatively low demand for gas nationwide has contributed to the lower prices, he said.

The downward momentum is expected to continue this week barring any “sudden reversal in the price of crude oil,” said Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy.

Crude oil was at $43.44 a barrel Monday, the GasBuddy website said.

California gas prices on Monday’s date have fluctuated wildly in the past five years, from $2.90 a gallon last year to as much as $4.11 in 2014.

While the nation’s average gas price was nearly an all-time low for the year at $2.26 on Monday, Californians are paying the second-highest price in the nation at $2.96, behind only Hawaii at $3.05, according to AAA.

“But the economy is doing well on the West Coast and more people are excited to spend their money on travel,” Blasky said.

Gas Prices in Sonoma

According to June 27 figures from

gasbuddy.com, the cheapest regular gas in Sonoma Valley:

Kenwood SuperGas, 8850 Sonoma Hwy.,

$2.79 (cash price)

Beacon, 18618 Sonoma Hwy. at Siesta,

$2.96

Valero, 18605 Sonoma Hwy. at Siesta,

$2.97 (cash price)

Bonneau, 23003 Arnold Dr. & Bonneau Rd,

$3.03

Bonneau, 19080 Arnold Dr. & Grove St.,

$3.03

76 Gas, 19249 Sonoma Hwy. at Ramon,

$3.06

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