Remember the good ol' days of paying $2.27 for a gallon of gasoline?

That's how much New Jersey drivers were paying at the pump last Independence Day — nearly 60 cents cheaper than the average cost of a gallon of unleaded today.

According to fuel data provider GasBuddy, the average in New Jersey currently sits around $2.86 per gallon.

"It's all about supply and demand," said senior petroleum analyst Patrick DeHaan. "Demand is up, supply is down, and that has pushed oil and gas prices up."

And gas prices are not anticipated to improve anytime soon, according to DeHaan, who expects prices to continue drifting upward through the holiday and beyond.

On the bright side, if you want to call it that, most other states have experienced an even bigger spike in gas prices compared to a year ago.

The difference is at least 70 cents in Indiana, Michigan and Arizona. The smallest difference versus last year can be found in Delaware — 52 cents.

Nationwide, drivers can expect to shell out an average of $2.90 per gallon, the highest mark since 2014 when drivers were paying $3.66.

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Contact reporter Dino Flammia at dino.flammia@townsquaremedia.com.

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