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Tucson is in record-high territory when it comes to gasoline prices.

The record average price for regular — set in September 2005, after Hurricane Katrina — was broken on Friday and then promptly reset on Monday, and it doesn't look like prices are coming down anytime soon.

Tucson's record high in September 2005 was $3.064. On Friday, it reached $3.074. Then came Monday and the new record: $3.085. Even so, Tucson had the second-cheapest gasoline in the state after the East Valley, in the metro Phoenix area.

The state average also is breaking records, while the national average Monday remained a half-cent shy of last May's record high, according to the AAA Arizona travel club and the Oil Price Information Service.

That record will likely be left in the dust soon as gas prices accelerate toward levels that could approach $4 a gallon, though most analysts believe prices will peak below that psychologically significant mark. In its most recent forecast, released last month, the Energy Department said prices will likely peak around $3.40 per gallon in the spring. A new forecast is due today.

The price of crude oil is the main culprit, said Michelle Donati, a spokeswoman for AAA Arizona.

Crude oil passed $108 a barrel on Monday before settling to close the day at just over $107, up 2.6 percent from the close of business Friday.

More than 60 percent of the cost of gasoline is determined by crude oil prices, Donati said.

And now that the weather is getting nicer, prices could rise more, she said.

"Demand has been relatively flat over the last month or so, but as the weather warms up and we see more people head out on summer vacations, spring vacations, demand is going to start to rise," causing prices to go up as well, Donati said.

Tucson

Average price Monday: $3.085.

Highest recorded price: $3.085, set on Monday.

Previous record before that: $3.074, set on Friday.

Record before Friday: $3.064, set in September 2005.

Arizona

Price Monday: $3.134.

Highest recorded price: $3.134, set on Sunday.

Prior record price: $3.131, set after Hurricane Katrina.

Nationwide

Price Monday: $3.222.

Highest recorded price: $3.227, set in May 2007.

* All figures for regular gasoline, as surveyed by AAA.

To help plan your weekly budget:

www.tucsongasprices.com: Log on to check which gas stations your neighbors have found to have the most- and least-expensive fuel, and if you like, you can register and add your own price observations to the list.

www.fuelcostcalculator.com: It's powered by AAA using information from the Oil Price Information Service. The site lets you plug in your destination and your vehicle's year, make and model, and it tells you how much you should plan to spend on gasoline for the trip.

Aggressive driving: Speeding, rapid acceleration and hard braking — can lower gas mileage by 33 percent on the highway and 5 percent in town, costing 13 to 88 cents per gallon.

Speed: As you drive faster, gas mileage goes down. For every 5 mph you drive over 60 mph, it's like paying 19 cents more per gallon for gas.

Weight: Every extra 100 pounds in your vehicle cuts mpg by up to 2 percent, costing you 3 to 5 cents more per gallon.

Maintenance: Maintaining your vehicle with tuneups, checking and replacing air filters, using the right grade of oil and keeping tires inflated properly can save 3 to 27 cents per gallon.

Trips: Combine trips. Instead of going to the video store, then home, then the grocery store, do it all in one trip.

Alternative transportation: Car-pool, ride the bus, bike or walk whenever you can, especially at this time of year, when our weather is at its most ideal.

Temperature: Buy gas during during the coolest time of day — early morning or late evening — when gasoline is densest.

Shop: Gasoline prices can vary by 10 cents or more across Tucson.