Holiday travel ends with record gas prices in Florida

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Memorial Day holiday and the road trips that go along with it have come to a close, but not before the price of gas climbed to a new high here in the Sunshine State.

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On Monday, Floridians paid an average of $4.57 per gallon, down a penny from last Thursday, according to AAA.

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That’s $1.71 more than one year ago — and 64 cents more than the previous Memorial Day record-high set in 2008, when a gallon of gas cost Florida drivers $3.93.

It means if your average-sized gas tank is on “Empty,” your wallet will be about $68 dollars lighter once you fill up — roughly $25 more than this time last year.

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AAA’s Mark Jenkins said the global fuel market continues to drive up costs, pointing to oil prices, which traded higher Tuesday morning after the European Union announced a partial ban on Russian oil imports.

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“The longer oil prices remain elevated, the longer American drivers will endure this unprecedented pain at the pump,” he said.

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