Every year it happens it seems. Fuel prices go up just in time for summer travel.

This year, you may want to start saving a few extra bucks for your summertime road trips, because gasoline prices are already sharply on the rise, and there's an indication it could get much worse before it gets better.

Why Are Fuel Prices on the Rise?

It's supply and demand, yes, but it's more complicated than that. The tensions with Russia and Ukraine have a great deal to do with it. It was just yesterday that oil prices were soaring to $115 a barrel. That's not a barrel of fun when you notice prices at the pump surging too. It was just a week or so ago that oil prices were below $100 and had been for several years. Add to the mix that news out of Saudi Arabia suggests they could jack up prices to their highest levels ever.

What is the Price of Gas in Yakima, Washington?

Well, it helps to have a friend in the fuel business. According to my new friend, GAS BUDDY, the average price of gasoline in Washington State is currently (and they have a real-time ticker for this on their website) $4.071 per gallon. This compares to $3.749 per gallon nationwide.

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Where is the Least Expensive Gas in Yakima?

There can be a big difference even between fuel retailers a few miles apart from one another. Earlier today, I compared two of my usual gasoline stops near our studios. They are less than 10 blocks apart on Summitview and quite a bit of difference in price.

Brian Stephenson
Brian Stephenson
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After grabbing an espresso at a nearby coffee shop, I pulled into the Chevron on 56th & Summitview and snapped this photo. I go here frequently for fuel and they're awesome folks. As you can see, they're up above the state average for regular gas.

Brian Stephenson
Brian Stephenson
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As I headed back toward the radio stations, I snapped this photo of the sign at this 76 location on Summitview and 48th, and the price for regular is 10 cents per gallon cheaper. And a full 20 cents cheaper for diesel fuel.

Top 10 Gas Stations & Cheap Fuel Prices in the Yakima Valley

According to GAS BUDDY, these are currently (as of Thursday afternoon) the Top 10 Gas Stations & Cheap Fuel Prices in Yakima:

YAKAMART - TOPPENNISH - $3.46

TOPP MART - TOPPENNISH - $3.46

ARCO - N. 1st St. YAKIMA - $3.49

TOPP STOP - TOPPENNISH - $3.49

WESTERN GAS - TOPPENISH - $3.49

SUNNYSIDE SUPER GAS - SUNNYSIDE - $3.57

76 on E. Lincoln - SUNNYSIDE - $3.59

WHEELER'S SMOKE N GAS - MABTON - $3.60

76 on N. Park - SELAH - $3.65

COSTCO - UNION GAP - $3.65

LOOK: See how much gasoline cost the year you started driving

To find out more about how has the price of gas changed throughout the years, Stacker ran the numbers on the cost of a gallon of gasoline for each of the last 84 years. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (released in April 2020), we analyzed the average price for a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline from 1976 to 2020 along with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for unleaded regular gasoline from 1937 to 1976, including the absolute and inflation-adjusted prices for each year.

Read on to explore the cost of gas over time and rediscover just how much a gallon was when you first started driving.

15 Ways You Can Help People in Ukraine Right Now

As Americans watch events unfold in Ukraine, many wonder how they can help. Below is a list of organizations responding to the crisis in Ukraine along with information on how you can support their various missions. 

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