Posted: Tuesday, November 26, 2013 9:18 am | Updated: 9:34 am, Tue Nov 26, 2013.
Evan Bell • Reporter

Hollister gas prices are low for the region

Gas prices in Hollister beat California’s average by a relatively healthy eight cents, according to a Free Lance review of gas prices in California.

As of Monday, the average price for a gallon of regular gas in California was $3.54. In Hollister, the average price was $3.46, brought down significantly by the two Quik Stop, Arco and Safeway locations, averaging around $3.35 at those spots.

The closest metropolitan areas to Hollister and San Benito County included in AAA’s Daily Fuel Gauge Report, which monitors daily gas prices, showed that Salinas had an average of $3.57 a gallon and Santa Cruz-Watsonville $3.55. San Jose had a $3.53 average.

Gas prices in San Benito County as a whole are comparable to the state’s average, and a little less – at $3.50 a gallon.

Gas prices around the country averaged about $3.28, about 30 to 40 cents cheaper than California’s average.

For Thanksgiving, AAA estimates that 43.4 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more. That will come as a relief to Hollister residents who might be traveling for the holiday.

“It’s great that it’s going down,” said Hollister resident Bianca Camacho, at the Quik Stop at Santa Ana Road and San Benito Street last week. “You can only hope that it goes down further.”

Visiting nearby Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area, San Jose resident Max Thomas said he enjoyed the drop in prices.

“The cheaper, the better,” he said.

Bob Johnson, from southern California who was visiting Hollister on business, said he remembered a time when gas was 29 cents.

“It’s about time,” he said about the price drop. “If anything, it’s gotten better.”