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Marylanders To Pay More At The Pump This Fourth Of July Weekend

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Expect to pay more at the pump. Conflicts in Iraq have substantially caused gas to go up.

Marcus Washington reports right now gas prices are at a six-year high for early summer.

As a projected 41 million people hit the road during this Fourth of July weekend, experts say get ready to pay more at the pump.

"Both nationally and in Maryland, the average today is $3.68 a gallon. That's up two cents from a week ago nationally. And here in Maryland, it's up about three cents," said Ragina Cooper-Averella, AAA Mid-Atlantic.

The rising price of gas is a direct reflection of conflict in Iraq. Analysts are now focused on the militant uprising in the country, where America gets a large percentage of its oil supply.

"So far, with most of the fighting occurring in the northern region of Iraq, we have not seen any disruptions in the southern region, which is where a majority of the oil is produced in that country," Averella said.

This summer it's expected that most drivers will pay some of the highest prices at the pump since 2008, when the national average of gas rose to $4.10 a gallon.

"They closed at $107.26 a barrel on Friday, which is really high. And unfortunately, if the conflict continues, we'll continue to see crude oil prices rise as well as gas prices," said Averella.

As nearly 830,000 Marylanders are expected to hit the road within the next week, finding the best spots to fill up at a low price can be as easy as visiting AAA's Fuel Cost Calculator.

"They can also use that tool as they look to plan their driving vacations during the Fourth of July weekend and into the summer," said Averella.

Typically Marylanders pay lower than the national average of gas, but that all changed when the gas tax kicked in July 2013.

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