Gas prices in the Valley, Cave Creek take a dip for Halloween

By Jeff Wendt
Mail

Gas prices took another drop this week as people head out on Halloween weekend.

Prices in the Valley dropped 10 cents a gallon this week to land at $4.41 a gallon. The price has dropped 42 cents over the past month but is still 93 cents a gallon higher than a year ago at this time.

Crude oil prices are above $100 per barrel, limiting further declines at the pump.

With trick-or-treaters hitting the streets and the end of daylight savings time on Sunday, AAA reminds drivers to exercise extra caution behind the wheel this weekend.

“With pedestrians out for Halloween and earlier evening darkness ahead, drivers should slow down, put distractions away and watch carefully while in neighborhoods,” David Caltabiano, spokesperson for AAA Mountain West Group, said in a release. “Attaching reflective tape or reflectors to costumes or candy buckets makes kids visible to drivers. Place a flashlight with fresh batteries inside your child’s treat bucket to make children more visible to traffic.”

Prices in the state also dropped this week, dropped 9 cents a gallon to $4.44 a gallon. That represents a 34 cent a gallon drop over the last month, but is up $1.12 a gallon over the same time last year.

The national average dropped 9 cents a gallon this week to $4.20 a gallon, down 23 cents a gallon from a month ago, and is up $1.17 over the same time a year ago.

In Cave Creek, the cheapest gas can be found at the Circle K at 6210 E. Cave Creek Road at $4.24 a gallon, down 15 cents from last week. The Circle K at 6802 E. Cave Creek Road sits at $4.34 a gallon, also down 15 cents, while the Chevron at 5439 E. Carefree Highway is at $4.69 a gallon, which staued flat from a week ago.

At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, crude oil rose $2.88 to settle at $102.78 per barrel. The Energy Information Administration reports that U.S. crude oil inventories decreased 1.9 million barrels to 410.6 million barrels, 4% below the five-year average.

Gasoline demand decreased last week from 8.98 million barrels per day to 8.38 million. Total domestic gasoline supply increased from 205.3 million barrels to 209.2 million. Gasoline production decreased from 9.75 million barrels per day to 9.24 million barrels.

Arizona fell off the list of the top 10 most expensive markets in the nation this week. The Top 10 most expensive markets are California ($5.94), Hawaii ($5.65), Nevada ($5.25), Washington ($5.24), Oregon ($4.83), Alaska ($4.80), Illinois ($4.79), Michigan ($4.66), Utah ($4.62) and Idaho ($4.60).

In the Valley, according to gasbuddy.com, the cheapest gas can be found at three locations:

• The Costco at Interstate 10 and Verrado Way in Buckeye,

• The Buc-ee’s at Interstate 10 and Bullard Avenue in Goodyear.

• The Costco at 101st Avenue and McDowell Road in Avondale.

All three locations have gas at $3.83 a gallon.

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Jeff Wendt
Reporter | Phoenix/Cave Creek

jwendt@iniusa.org

Meet Jeff
Jeff Wendt started at Independent Newsmedia in January 2023, after 25 years working for Gannett and The Arizona Republic. Started as a high school sports scoretaker, worked up to reporting high school sports and then became an associate high school sports editor in 2002. Also worked in the Design Studio as a copy editor.

Community: Jeff serves on the Board of Elders at his local church.

Education: Arizona State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication

Random fact: Attended Game 2 of the 2001 World Series.

Hobbies: Playing video games (yes still the kid in me), watching reality TV, playing poker.