SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KTXL) — Gasoline prices reached a record high of more than $6 a gallon, and whether it’s driving locally or through the region, drivers are feeling the hit.

“I’m going crazy with these prices,” Sacramento resident Gerardo Santos said. “Three-quarters of a tank, 11 gallons for $70.”

Santos lives downtown and only drives his vehicle once a week.

“But we also live in California. We’ve got one of the bigger gas taxes,” Santos said.

He said, if we’re going to pay a higher tax, it should amount to something.

“If they’re going to be taxing us that much, with the excuse of using that money for roads, actually fix the roads cause they’re horrible right now,” Santos said.

Monday’s average is up from  $4.56 a year ago as prices rebounded from the lows of 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to AAA, West Coast consumers were paying $5.80 in California,  $5.10 in Nevada and Oregon, and $4.92 in Washington. The national average for an unleaded gallon of gasoline cost was $3.73 on Monday.

“They shut down the refineries right now for maintenance, basically. That’s two refineries and that’s going to have a hell of an effect on everything,” Chris Naidu, Shell manager, said.

Naidu said it’s affecting prices with the Big 3: Shell, UniCal/76 and Chevron.

“It’s annoying,” Angela Batres, Stockton resident, said.

Batres commutes from her home in Stockton to attend school at Sacramento State.

For Robert Garcia,  who lives in Sacramento, he only drives about 10 miles a day but said he has to fill up a tank.

“I was paying 20 bucks for the whole week. Now, I’m paying like 80.  So, I think 80 is the new 20. So, I’m not happy,” Garcia said.

Naidu said at his station the price of a gallon of gas went up by 60 cents in the past couple of days. But it recently dropped by 10 cents.

“We’re all praying for it to come down. But in the meantime, keep your tire pressures correct — keep tuned up. Get your vehicle serviced. That helps. Every little bit helps, you know,” Naidu said.