For the first time ever, drivers in Columbus are paying an average of more than $5 a gallon for gas.
Auto club AAA says Columbus-area gas stations are now charging an average of $5.01 a gallon for regular-grade gas, the highest average price for the city ever.
The statewide average price for regular-grade gas is now $4.97 a gallon. That's up from $4.83 on Monday, $4.45 a week ago, $4.09 one month ago, and $2.93 a gallon one year ago.
Until Tuesday, Ohio's average price for gasoline had trailed the nationwide average. That trend flipped on Tuesday, with Ohio surpassing the national average of $4.92 a gallon.
Diesel fuel is also at an all-time high of $5.76 a gallon in the Columbus area.
Experts say the high price of oil, largely because many buyers are refusing to purchase Russian oil because of its invasion of Ukraine, is the main cause of the steep gasoline prices. The trend of increasing gas and diesel prices is expected to continue in the coming months.
