Idaho’s average gas price climbed past the $5 mark this week, a new statewide benchmark as fuel costs continue rising nationwide.

Idaho’s average price for regular gasoline stood at $5.0065 as of Friday, up slightly from $5.0028 the day before, according to AAA. That’s well above the national average of $4.4918. Idaho is now one of seven states nationwide with an average gas price of $5 or more, joining Alaska, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.

The current average isn’t yet an Idaho record — gas reached an average of $5.2519 per gallon on July 1, 2022. Diesel, however, did set a new state record this week: the average price hit $6.6532, the highest ever recorded by AAA.

Idaho’s gas prices have climbed steadily in recent weeks — the current average is up from $4.861 a week ago, $4.5526 a month ago and $3.5057 a year ago, according to AAA.

Earlier in the week, AAA Idaho Public Affairs Director Matthew Conde attributed the spike to global instability.

“The causes are the same, but the symptoms are more severe — global conflict putting pressure on crude oil affects the price of everything you can make by refining the crude,” Conde said in a Tuesday press release. “These price jumps are simply shocking.”

Despite Conde’s explanation, oil prices actually decreased over the same period — the West Texas Intermediate benchmark for crude dropped nearly $10 from the previous week, according to the AAA Idaho release.

Conde urged drivers to avoid overspending on higher fuel grades.

“Market instability could continue in the short term and consumers will have to cope as best we can,” he said. “Please follow the fuel grade requirements in your owner’s manual. If you’ve been purchasing a higher grade of gasoline with the belief that you’re giving your car a ‘treat,’ you could be spending unnecessary money for a marginal benefit.”

The Boise metro area has an average gas price of $5.0946. Some rural parts of the state have it worse — Clark County ($5.70), Camas County ($5.45) and Boise County ($5.34) have the highest average gas prices in the state, according to AAA’s most recent county-level data.

Here’s a breakdown of average gas prices by Idaho metro area as of Friday, according to AAA:

Boise: $5.09

Coeur d’Alene: $4.63

Franklin: $4.98

Idaho Falls: $5.03

Lewiston: $4.64

Pocatello: $5.07

Rexburg: $4.93

Twin Falls: $5.10