California gas prices hit a record $6 average

After three weeks of steady increases, the average price of a gallon of regular gas breached $6 a gallon in California, a first for the state and the U.S.

The California average stood at $6.06 Thursday, according to AAA.

Orange and Los Angeles counties each had topped $6 in late March before prices went down. This week, the average price set a record Wednesday and again Thursday with prices climbing to $6.07 and $6.09, respectively.

The high cost of crude oil has pushed up pump prices, according to Andrew Gross, an AAA national public relations manager. The price of a barrel of the Brent crude fell $2.82 Wednesday to settle at $109.11. Brent crude is the global oil benchmark, accounting for approximately 80% of the world’s crude oil.

The average price for the Inland Empire continued to climb closer to the $6 mark. In Riverside and San Berardino counties, the average price hit $5.98 Thursday. In Riverside, prices went up 4.2 cents in a day, eclipsing a mark that stood for 50 days. The county’s previous high was $5.971, set March 29.

The national average price rose to a record for the 10th consecutive day, increasing 2.2 cents to $4.589.