The price of gas in the U.S. has topped $5 for the first time ever

The national average price for a gallon of gas has reached $5 for the first time in history.

On Saturday, the average price was $5. Motorists in California are paying much higher than that.

The national average price has gone up by 19 cents in the past week, and it's risen by nearly $2 in the past year.

There are many reasons for the increase in gas prices.

Demand is up around Memorial Day because Americans tend to drive more. Russia is a leading oil producer and has been hit by sanctions because of its war against Ukrainians. There are limits on refining capacity in the US because of the swine flu.

The cost of filling up is draining money from Americans who are facing the highest rate of inflation in four decades.

The state of California has the highest price. Mississippi has the lowest average of all the states.

This is the first time that $5 has been broken, but it's still not a record. The price of gas peaked in July of 2008 at $4.11 a gallon.