Average price of gas hits $5.00 nationwide for first-time ever

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- For the first time ever, a gallon of regular gas costs $5.00 on average nationwide.

On Monday morning, North Carolina sits at just under that mark at $4.67, according to AAA.

Experts say several factors are at work including higher oil prices driven by the war in Ukraine. Higher demand for gas and lower refining capacity in the U.S.

Nationally, the average price at the pump is $1.97 higher than it was one year ago.

Nationwide, the highest average price for regular-grade gas is in the San Francisco, at $6.55 per gallon. The lowest average is in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at $4.43 per gallon.