For Shaktie Rosa, the price of going home has never been so high.
The 22-year-old UF neuroscience senior paid $32 to fill up just half of her car tank in preparation for her drive to Miami for spring break — about $7 more than she would usually pay for the same amount of gas. She had been expecting it to be expensive but was still surprised, she said.
“I was in shock that it took a lot more to fill up less of my tank,” Rosa said.
Gas prices in Gainesville, mirroring a nationwide surge, have climbed by 28 cents per gallon in one week and 85 cents in one month. The average $3.79 per gallon on March 15 ranks Gainesville as the sixth-most expensive city for gas in Florida, according to the AAA Fuel Prices report.
The increase of gas prices is largely tied to the U.S.-Israel war with Iran. The Strait of Hormuz, a shipping lane between Iran and Oman that transits one-fifth of the world’s oil output, has been disrupted due to attacks on merchant ships.
Ted Kury, director of energy studies for the Public Utility Research Center at UF, said gas prices tend to rise during conflicts with oil-producing countries.
“Because there’s so much uncertainty around how long we expect the war to last and how accessible some of these oil supplies are, that’s leading to volatility in the market,” Kury said.
He said motorists should understand that trying to predict gas prices is very difficult, and the only way to protect yourself from higher gas prices is to be more conscious of how you use it. He suggested seeking public transportation and running multiple errands on one trip as ways to save gas.
“When gas prices are going up, the price of that convenience increases,” Kury said.
Florida gas prices last peaked in June 2022 at $4.72 because of the energy crises escalated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The highest recorded price in Gainesville was $4.91 on June 15, 2022. Prices also spiked in June 2008 due to various factors such as tensions in the Middle East, financial speculation and an ongoing energy crisis.
Malena de la Iglesia, a 21-year-old UF advertising junior, is driving five and a half hours to Fort Lauderdale. She said she’s worried about the cost of filling up her tank.
“It’s honestly making me really anxious and stressed … and I haven’t really been driving unless I need to,” de la Iglesia said. “But this long road trip is obviously more than half a tank of gas.”
The estimated cost of gas, based on the average fuel efficiency for cars, is currently $63.29 from Gainesville to Miami, $18.27 to Orlando, $11.76 to Jacksonville and $21.20 to Tampa.
Camila Cruz, a 22-year-old UF biochemistry senior, said she has been avoiding getting gas due to the rising prices but will have to fill her tank before her drive home to Miami. The total cost of the trip, including gas and tolls, is “not friendly,” she said.
“With the news that’s going on and everything else that relates to the gas prices increasing, [it’s] not a surprise,” Cruz said. “But very unfortunate for us college students that need to drive down and spend money on gas.”
The most common Florida counties of residence for UF students are Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach, which are about a four- to six-hour drive from Alachua County.
Mikayla Flores, a 20-year-old UF pre-nursing sophomore, plans to drive two hours to Orlando. She said gas prices are usually fine, but she noticed the rapid increase within the last few days. However, the increasing prices won’t stop her, she said.
“Honestly, I have to do what I have to do. I kind of just suck it up. Whatever it takes to get home,” Flores said.
Carolinne Viana Poffo, a 20-year-old UF microbiology sophomore, drove five hours to Weston, Florida. She said she filled up three-quarters of her tank for $33, when she usually pays about $25 for her entire tank.
She found the prices unreasonably high, although splitting the cost with a friend helped.
“Honestly, it didn’t affect me because I was still going to drive home. I just had to spend more money on gas, and I luckily was driving with someone,” Viana Poffo said.
Laura Mariné is a contributing writer for The Alligator.
