Michigan gas prices jumped 33 cents in one day, according to AAA's database, with the average price for regular unleaded rising as drivers headed into Thursday. AAA-The Auto Club Group listed the state average at $4.58 per gallon, well above the national average of $4.30.
The rise has been building since early March, when prices started climbing after several months of retail gasoline prices between $2.80 and $3.15, according to AAA data. AAA said there was a brief pause in the upward trend in recent days before hikes resumed, leaving Michigan drivers back in a market that experts say is being pushed higher by both international oil prices and refinery issues in the region.
That combination matters because Michigan is not just following the national market; it is also feeling pressure from problems closer to home. AAA says it updates its online database daily and issues a gas price trend report on Mondays, giving a running picture of how quickly the cost at the pump can change.
The state has seen steep prices before. AAA said the highest price on record in Michigan for regular unleaded gas was $5.22 a gallon in June 2022, a benchmark that still hangs over every new spike. Thursday's average remains below that peak, but the speed of the recent move has revived the question of why are gas prices so high again.
For now, the answer is a familiar one: global oil markets and refinery problems are working together, and Michigan is caught where both hit hardest. If the current run continues, drivers are likely to keep seeing prices move before they settle, not after.
