The national average price of a gallon of unleaded gasoline increased 5.3 cents to $1.783 for the week ending Feb. 29 as a closing spike during a month that saw turbulent prices similar to the price movement of oil.

The price is now 69 cents higher that it was a year ago, and most regions of the nine tracked by the U.S. Department of Energy increased in average price. The average price increase most sharply in the Midwest with an 11.3-cent increase to $1.722. The average price on the West Coast increased 6.7 cents to $2.208. Prices remained flat in New England, the Central Atlantic, and the West Coast without California.

Among states, four remain above $2, including Hawaii, California, Alaska, and Washington. On the flip side, 29 states have gasoline prices lower than $1.75. Arizona now has the nation's lowest gasoline prices at $1.52 per gallon.

Meanwhile, the average price of diesel increased six-tenths of a cent to $1.989. Diesel now costs 94.7 cents less than a year ago.