Michigan Sees Highest Gas Prices for the Year

The pain at Michigan gas pumps is real and it's not going away soon.

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Gas prices in Michigan have jumped 12 cents, according to AAA Michigan, the highest prices seen in 2021. The average cost of a gallon of regular unleaded gas in Michigan is currently at $3.33. The national average for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline is sitting at $3.27. Gas prices are 14 cents higher than a month ago and a painful $1.20 more than this time last year.

Right now, Michigan residents are paying about $50 to fill up a 15-gallon tank of gas; an increase of about $11 from when prices were their highest last January.

Rising crude oil prices led to a double-digit spike in Michigan gas prices,” said Adrienne Woodland, spokesperson, AAA-The Auto Club Group. “If crude prices continue to trade near $80 a barrel, motorists will likely see elevated pump prices through this week.

So why the high prices? It's complicated. Obviously, the ongoing pandemic has played a part as well as the labor shortage that has been plaguing nearly every industry. But according to AAA Michigan, there has been a slight increase in demand. The main culprit for the high prices at the pump is crude oil closing in at $80 a barrel.

Most expensive gas price averages in Michigan:

Lansing ($3.39)
Saginaw ($3.38)
Grand Rapids ($3.37)

Least expensive gas price averages in Michigan:

Ann Arbor ($3.26)
Metro Detroit ($3.29)
Benton Harbor ($3.34)

Plan ahead. You can view current gas prices across the state by clicking here.

I think we all long for the days of cheaper gas prices. Take a trip back in time and see gas prices for the year you were born.

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.