The average price of gas in the five-county Philadelphia area went up 1 cent overnight, matching the year's high of $2.74, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic.

The auto club said that this average for a gallon of regular no-lead was set June 20.

South Jersey's average declined 1 cent since Friday, to $2.53. That puts it 1 cent below the year's high.

The national average declined 1 cent since Friday, to $2.69.

That's a big change from the fall of 2008, when plummeting prices offered one of the few breaks for consumers as thousands lost jobs and businesses shut down. Gas in 2008 dropped from around $3.62 a gallon in the beginning of October to $2.44 at this time last year.

And just in the last month, the average has increased by 24 cents in the Philly area, by 30 cents in South Jersey, and by 23 cents in the nation as a whole.

"If crude oil prices level off or decline, it will help halt increases at the pump later this year," said Catherine L. Rossi, manager of public and government affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic. "In the meantime, it's possible that we'll be paying a few pennies more in the days ahead."

Wyoming continues to have the nation's lowest average, with an average of $2.50.

The highest averages in the nation continue to be in Alaska ($3.39), Hawaii ($3.28) and California ($3.01).

The Philly area's diesel average was unchanged since Friday, at $3.04; South Jersey's diesel was up 1 cent, to $2.74. The national diesel average was up 1 cent, to $2.84.

Meanwhile, benchmark crude for December delivery added $1.28 to $77.28 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange on encouraging U.S. economic numbers on manufacturing, construction and home sales.