You're not imagining things. It's definitely more expensive to fill your gas tank this summer than it was in the spring — or even last year.
The average price for one gallon of unleaded gasoline in Cincinnati is $3.116 as of Tuesday afternoon, according to auto association AAA. That's up from $2.993/gal on June 8 and $2.898/gal on May 8.
A year ago, Cincinnati motorists were paying only $1.996/gal.
Those higher prices are happening throughout Ohio, too. Statewide, unleaded gas is averaging $3.022/gal — one of the top ten states with price changes from week to week.
Ohio is slightly under that national average of $3.076/gal, but Cincinnati itself still is higher by nearly half a cent.
The highest recorded average in Ohio was $4.159 per gallon of regular unleaded gas on May 4, 2011, AAA says.
As CityBeat reported in May, gas prices have been on the rise for several months, thanks in part to the shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline, the largest fuel pipeline in the nation, and vaccinated people returning to the workplace or traveling and outpacing supplies.
On Monday, AAA reported that crude oil is more expensive than it was in January as COVID-19 restrictions ease and travel resumes.
"Motorists are paying, on average, 37% more to fill up than the start of the year,” Jeanette McGee, AAA spokesperson, says in a release. "Prices for the rest of the month are likely to push more expensive, but if crude production increases, as forecasted, there is the possibility of seeing some relief at the pump later this summer."
Learn more about gas prices on the AAA website.