Energy

Gas Price Near $6 in Orlando

Douglas A. McIntyre

Published: February 16, 2016 11:35 am

Last Updated: January 13, 2020 1:08 pm

While the price nationwide for the average gallon of regular gasoline is about $1.70, there is a tiny section of Florida, just outside Orlando, where the price at one station is $5.99. The Shell Station in Lake Buena Vista sits next to a Suncoast Energys station where the price is $5.95, according to GasBuddy.

The gas price in Florida, based on the average cost of a gallon of regular, does not explain the nearly $6 price. Florida gas prices average $1.75, above the national average. Orlando prices are $1.67, just below the national average. Gas taxes and levies in Florida are $0.55 per gallon, the seventh highest in the country, and well above the national average of $0.48. By comparison, the state with the lowest gas taxes is Alaska at $0.307, based on data from the American Petroleum Institute.

For an analysis of gas taxes by state, see 24/7 Wall St.’s new study of the numbers.

The two locations in Florida are an anomaly. Most of the stations with among the highest gas prices in the United States are in and around the large cities in California, which has the highest average price among all states. In fact, 20 of the top 25 stations with highest gas prices are in California. These cities include San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Bernardino and San Diego.

The average gas price across California is $2.40, according to GasBuddy. Only Hawaii is higher at $2.62 a gallon.

Even if gas prices drop, the unique situations of the two stations outside Orlando won’t change. They sit is a small area where they can get away with gas prices near $6. They sit near several of the Disney resorts, and some of the traffic from these resorts goes to the nearby Orlando Airport.