SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Crude oil prices are the highest they have been all year driving up the price you pay at the pump. While gas prices are up throughout the state, Springfield drivers are being hit the hardest.

As of Tuesday, data from AAA shows the current average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gas is $3.85. But in places like Cape Girardeau, the average is nearly 50 cents cheaper at $3.39.

“There are several factors that go into some of those regional differences,” Missouri AAA Spokesperson Nick Chabarria said. “First and foremost, distance from supply comes into play. The farther that a city or metro area is from refining operations or distribution centers, the more it’s going to cost to move that finished gasoline product to your local stations. We can also talk about just retail competition, you know, in operating costs to maintain a local gas station in that area.”

The full article is available at ozarksfirst.com.

(Story by Sydney Moran, ozarksfirst.com)