Pain at the pump is starting to ease a bit for Peoria-area drivers.
According to the AAA motor club’s website, Peoria County’s average price for a gallon of unleaded is down nearly 50 cents from the metro area’s record high from a month ago.
The site shows a current average of just under $4.80 for unleaded in Peoria County, although Tazewell County is about 10 cents higher. The Peoria-Pekin market posted an all-time high of $5.29 on June 13.
The motor club credits a drop in demand and declining oil prices for the lower fill-up costs, with the national average now at $4.58.
Illinois has the ninth-highest state-wide average in the country at $5.06, also down a half-dollar from the mid-June record.
The Peoria area's average price for a gallon of diesel stands at $5.72, almost 10 cents cheaper than the high mark on June 26.