Recently rising gas prices crept downward last week.

After hitting a record $4.33 a gallon March 11, the average nationwide price for a gallon of gasoline fell this week to $4.25, the largest weekly drop since January, according to AAA.

AAA reports that Kansas has the lowest average gas price in the nation — $3.76 per gallon for regular unleaded — falling five cents over the past week.

That’s roughly where prices were Tuesday in Marion County.

Dollar General in Hillsboro had the lowest price, $3.73. The highest was $3.89 at Flying Eagle Truck Stop in Florence.

In Marion, Casey’s was charging $3.76 while Ampride was charging $3.79.

Ampride was charging the same in Hillsboro, but the Hillsboro Casey’s was a penny less than the Marion Casey’s.

AgriTrails in Durham was charging $3.74.

Those numbers generally are down slightly from two weeks ago.

The primary reason for the drop in prices nationwide has been the falling price of crude oil, according to AAA.

Crude oil peaked shortly after Russia launched its war in Ukraine but has fallen more than $20 a barrel since then. It hovers near $105 a barrel.

Another factor domestically, AAA says, may be a slight drop in demand. Demand is defying what typically is an upward trend at this time of year, dipping slightly this week, perhaps because of higher prices at the pump.

“With warmer weather and longer days, we typically see an uptick in gasoline demand at this time of year, but last week we saw a drop in demand instead,” AAA spokesman Shawn Steward said. “In a recent AAA survey, 59% of drivers said they would change their driving habits or lifestyle if the cost of gas hit $4 per gallon, so the slight decrease makes sense.”

While this is great news for motorists, there is no guarantee that the worst is behind us.

“There is no telling, at this point, whether this downward trend will continue, or for how long, because of the unpredictable nature of the war in Ukraine and other geo-political influences,” Steward said. “But, for the moment anyway, there is hope that the worst is behind us.”