The average price of gasoline in Illinois continues to rise for the second week in a row. The cost of gas is now around $3.52 per gallon – this is up 3.8 cents per gallon compared to last week’s rates.

In regards to last month’s prices, cost appears to have risen by 36.5 cents per gallon. Last year at the same time, the price rose by 5.8 cents per gallon, according to GasBuddy price reports.

In Illinois, the cheapest price of gasoline was $2.99 per gallon. The highest price in Illinois was $4.49 per gallon, according to GasBuddy price data.

Across the nation, gasoline prices continue to rise, with the average price reaching $3.39 per gallon. This is up 11.3 cents per gallon from last week. This price is higher than last month’s by 30.2 cents per gallon. This is also more than last year’s price at the same time by 7.3 cents per gallon, according to GasBuddy.

In neighboring Maple Park, the lowest gasoline price is $3.37 and $3.89 at the highest with a difference of 52 cents per gallon. In Rockford, the lowest price of gasoline is $3.21 and the highest is $3.79 with a difference of 58 cents.

Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said gas prices will continue to increase. The increase of COVID-19 cases and increased demand for oil in China has greatly affected supply.

“Concerns are increasing that without additional oil, supply will tighten in the weeks ahead, especially as the nation starts to move away from softer demand in the height of winter,” De Haan said. “Moving forward, it doesn’t look good for motorists, with prices likely to continue accelerating.”