Gas prices surge in SLO County, find lowest costs

CalCoastNews
September 20, 2026
Ouch — if you filled up in SLO County last week, you felt it. The average price for a gallon of regular jumped 16 cents to $6.35, according to AAA by way of CalCoastNews, while our neighbors down in Santa Barbara County are paying about $6.19. That's a 16-cent gap for basically the same stretch of Highway 101.
With crude oil still hovering around $100 a barrel and unrest overseas rattling the market, there's not much our local stations can do about the base price. But it's worth remembering that where you swipe your card matters — the cheapest pumps in SLO, Paso, Atascadero, and the Five Cities can run well below the county average.
So before your next commute or weekend run to the coast, do a quick scan of the lowest prices around town. Every dime you save is another dime for a farmers' market stop or a coffee on the way to work.
This summary was written by AI based on the original article from CalCoastNews.
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San Luis ObispoSource
CalCoastNewsPublished
September 20, 2026
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