Gas prices retreat slightly

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NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The nationwide average price of gasoline retreated slightly from its high Wednesday, according to a key fuel price survey conducted for the motorist group AAA.

The average price of regular held steady at $3.279 a gallon, just a tenth of a cent lower than the $3.28 reported yesterday, according to AAA's Web site, and down six tenths of a cent from the record high of $3.285 reported Sunday. The average price-per-gallon of diesel fuel rose one cent to a record high of $4.025.

Regular was $3.014 on average at this time last month and $2.556 a year ago, according to the AAA. Diesel was $3.443 in the previous month, and $2.743 a year ago.

Still priciest in California. Gas at the pump retains its usual high in the western part of the country, and California leads the way with an average of $3.631 a gallon. Alaska, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii all had to pay more than $3.40 a gallon, on average.

New Jersey continues to have the cheapest gasoline, with drivers paying $3.056 a gallon, on average. Missouri residents also pay less than $3.10 a gallon.

But when adjusted for inflation, gas prices are still below their peak. The record on that basis was $3.405 and set in March 1981, according to the Energy Information Administration.

The fuel price survey was conducted for AAA by Oil Price Information Service.