BY KEITH LIPPOLDT

klippoldt@gbtribune.com

There is good news at the gas pumps for Kansas drivers as the prices are on a steady decline heading into the summer driving months. Although the market is capable of fluctuating at a moment’s notice, the trend appears to be for prices to remain down.

In Great Bend, most gas stations were priced at $2.619 Monday morning with the remaining priced at or below 2.679. The lowest price for 87 Octane was at Z’s Liquor Mart, located at 19th and Main, at $2.579 per gallon. The highest was at Circle K at $2.679. In Barton County, the highest reported price for 87 Octane gasoline is $2.699 at the Casey’s in Hoisington.

The average price for gasoline at the pump had declined for four straight weeks and may still fall below $3 a gallon - the lowest level in years, according to fuel-price tracker GasBuddy.

But the nation’s average price of gasoline has risen for the first time in over a month, increasing 6.3 cents compared to a week ago and stands at $3.08 per gallon, according to GasBuddy® data compiled from more than 12 million individual price reports covering over 150,000 gas stations across the country. The national average is down 1.6 cents from a month ago and is 42.5 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has decreased 0.9 cents in the last week and stands at $3.549 per gallon.

“For the first time in over a month, the national average price of gasoline has risen, driven by the final step in the transition to summer gasoline across wide portions of the country,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “This increase has nothing to do with politics or tariffs — which remain paused for now — but is instead the result of seasonality, and is something that happens almost every year.

Data from GasBuddy shows that the national average gas prices fell to as low as $2.973 a gallon on Dec. 8, 2024, but haven’t been below that level since May 2021. Prices are still far from the lowest average recorded by GasBuddy, based on data going back to 2001, which was $1.592 a gallon on Dec. 29, 2008.  

“Gas prices are likely to remain low for now,” De Haan said. “If economic conditions improve, gas prices could eventually follow suit and start rising again.”

According to Reuters, as of March 24, 2025, crude oil prices have experienced a slight decline amid ongoing geopolitical developments. Brent crude futures decreased to $71.91 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell to $68.08 per barrel. ​

These price movements are influenced by factors such as ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine, which may lead to increased Russian oil supply if successful.

Over the past decade, U.S. gasoline prices have seen significant fluctuations. The highest recorded average price for regular unleaded gasoline was $5.016 per gallon on June 14, 2022.

In 2024, the highest average price was approximately $3.53 per gallon in March 2024. The lowest average price within the last year was $2.97 per gallon in December 2024.

As Kansas approaches the summer months, fuel prices are expected to follow typical seasonal patterns, with potential increases during the spring due to higher demand and the transition to summer-blend gasoline. GasBuddy’s 2025 Fuel Price Outlook projects a national average peak of $3.53 per gallon in April, with daily averages potentially reaching up to $3.67 per gallon. Given that Kansas traditionally maintains gas prices below the national average, it’s reasonable to anticipate that the state’s fuel prices will also experience a modest rise during this period, though likely remaining lower than the national figures.​

While the overall trend for 2025 suggests a decline in fuel prices compared to previous years, drivers should remain aware of factors that could influence local prices, such as regional supply, refinery issues and any unforeseen geopolitical events. 

U.S. Records Back to 2008         Date          Price

Highest Recorded Average      06/16/22     5.034

Lowest Recorded Average       12/29/08     1.592

Highest Average This Year      02/20/25    3.177

Lowest Average This Year       03/17/25     3.026

Highest Average Last Year      04/20/24    3.700

Lowest Average Last Year        12/09/24    2.977

Highest Average on This Day  03/24/22    4.252

Lowest Average on This Day   03/24/09    1.957

SOURCES: GasBuddy, Reuters, Market Watch