The price to fill up a gas tank in the Tri-Cities is cheaper than it’s been in a long time -- and it's among the cheapest in the state.

The average price per gallon for regular gas in the

Tri-Cities is $2.47, which is nearly 13 percent cheaper than it was a year ago,

according to the AAA Gas

Prices website.

It’s 6 cents lower per gallon than the previous week and 27

cents lower per gallon than a month ago.

The price per gallon a year ago was $2.83, or 36 cents

cheaper.

The statewide average is $2.90 per gallon because most of

the gas stations on the west side of the state are charging $3.48 a gallon to

$2.88 a gallon, according to AAA.

It’s a typical trend for the east side of the state to boast

lower gas prices, said Kelly Just, spokeswoman for AAA Washington.

Eastern Washington gets its gas from refineries in the

mountain region, while the west side of the state receives it from the coastal

regions, Just said.

Pump prices in the West Coast region are the highest in the nation, with all the region’s states landing on the nation’s top most expensive list, according to a AAA report released Jan. 28.

The nationwide average is $2.26 per gallon.

Richland-Kennewick-Pasco gas prices

Source: AAA