Pittsburgh gas prices rise as national average falls

Gasoline prices in the Pittsburgh area rose over the past week despite falling nationally, according to the price-tracking website GasBuddy.com.

In the Pittsburgh area, gas prices went up 7.1 cents per gallon over the past week to an average of $2.86 per gallon, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 731 stations. That’s 4.6 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and 4.9 cents per gallon higher than a year ago.

The national average fell 2.2 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.58. That’s 2.6 cents per gallon less than a month ago, but 5.1 cents per gallon more than a year ago.

Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy, advises motorists traveling out-of-state for Thanksgiving to check prices along their route for lower prices. Motorists who shop around could take 20 to 50 cents off per gallon, he said.

Neighboring areas and their current gas prices:

• Akron — $2.41, down 3.2 cents per gallon from last week;

• Cleveland — $2.48, down 3.2 cents per gallon from last week;

• West Virginia — $2.54, up 0.7 cents per gallon from last week.