Gas prices hit record 2 cents shy of $4
With new highs reached in 27 of the last 28 days, the national average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline hit $3.983, according to AAA's Web site.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Retail gas prices set a record high for the 27th time in the past 28 days, motorist group AAA's Web site showed Wednesday.
AAA reports the national average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline rose to a record high of $3.983, up 0.5 of a cent from the previous day's high of $3.978. This is the 27th record high in 28 days.
The AAA survey shows gas prices are up 10% from a month ago and more than 26% higher from year-ago levels.
This record runup of prices at the pump coincides with the start of the summer driving season, which unofficially began over Memorial Day.
The average price for gas has passed the $4 a gallon mark in 13 states, as well as in Washington, D.C. Those states where gas has already passed the $4 threshold are: Alaska, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and West Virginia.
The most expensive state for buying gas is California, where a gallon of regular unleaded costs an average of $4.313 according to AAA. The second most expensive state is Connecticut, where a gallon of gas costs $4.264.
The least expensive state for purchasing gas is South Carolina, where a gallon costs $3.797 a gallon on average. The second least expensive state for gas is Missouri, where a gallon runs $3.804 a gallon.
Gas prices have been pushed to record levels in the past year on the back of record oil prices. As the price of crude oil has more than doubled, gas prices have increased by more than a quarter. 
