Baldwin County drivers filling up with regular unleaded found a bargain at one station in the week ending Aug. 2, where the lowest reported price came in at $2.63 per gallon, according to price reports submitted by drivers to GasBuddy.com.
That low mark sat well under the countywide average for regular gas, which was $2.80 per gallon across Baldwin County during the same week. Unlike midgrade or premium fuel, regular gas is offered nearly everywhere in the county — 112 of the 145 gas stations tracked in GasBuddy’s reporting sell regular unleaded, giving drivers far more options to shop around for the best price.
Statewide, Alabama’s average price for regular gas was $2.76 per gallon, down slightly from $2.77 the week before, suggesting prices have been largely stable heading into the heart of summer travel season.
For many households across Baldwin County, where daily commutes often stretch between smaller communities and job centers in Fairhope, Foley, Daphne and across the bay in Mobile, even small week-to-week swings in the price of regular gas can add up over a month of driving. The prices reported reflect cash payments rather than credit purchases; gas stations are permitted to charge more for credit card transactions to cover surcharge fees in most states, though that practice is banned in 10 states nationwide.
Gas prices nationally have been on an uneven ride for years now, driven by a mix of supply disruptions, shifting demand and geopolitical instability. Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, along with U.S. and European Union sanctions on Russian oil and more recent sanctions aimed at Russian oil tankers, have all contributed to tighter supplies and higher prices at various points. Combined with lingering pandemic-era effects and the seasonal surge in summer road trips, local prices have ranged anywhere from the low $3s to more than $4 a gallon depending on the week.
Federal forecasters expect at least some of that volatility to calm down. The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Short-Term Energy Outlook projects gradually stabilizing global oil markets as supply chains continue to recover and domestic production ramps up, which should help moderate the kind of seasonal price spikes drivers have grown used to. Trade policy remains a wild card, though — tariffs affecting oil imported from Canada and Mexico are adding cost pressure for refiners that could eventually show up in prices consumers pay at the pump.
As always, these figures are a snapshot. Gas prices can shift daily or even within the same day, so the station with the cheapest regular gas in Baldwin County one week may not hold that title the next.