We left town for the long Presidents Day weekend on Saturday morning. When we rolled back into town on Tuesday we were a little surprised to see that gas had gone up twenty cents near our house.

The average price for a gallon of gas in Sioux Falls has risen dramatically over last week. The current average price is $2.55 per gallon, three cents higher than just yesterday and ten cents higher than one week ago, and some gas stations were way higher.

“Crude, not demand, has been the main factor driving gas price increases this year,” said Marilyn Buskohl, AAA spokesperson in a press release. “Today’s national average is $2.51, which is just seven cents less than the most expensive national gas price average in 2020.”

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The cheapest gas in Sioux Falls, as it normally is, can be had at Costco for $2.19 per gallon. If you don't have or don't want a membership, you can get gas at Sinclair on North Cliff for $2.29 per gallon, Love's Truck Stop for $2.34, and Mobil on 49th Street near the mall for $2.39.

While we were in Rapid City this past weekend, we noticed that the price was as good or better than here at home. The average price in South Dakota's second-largest city is 12 cents lower at $2.43 per gallon, but that's only three cents higher than last week.

The state average has been climbing steadily over the last month. Today's average price is $2.49 per gallon, two cents higher than a week ago. One month ago the average in the state was $2.31.

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