The latest data on gas prices was released today by the U.S. Energy Information Administration: As expected, the national average and California average rose slightly to $3.88 and $4.22 per gallon of regular gas, respectively. The average in the city of L.A. is $4.25 a gallon.

The chart above shows the recent rise in gas prices through two weeks ago.

In 2008, the average fuel efficiency of cars in the United States was about 22 mpg. And this chart shows the breakdown of commuting distances from Americans from early in the 2000s (the best numbers I could find). Do the math — driving a 30-mile round-trip in the average American car costs about $6 a day depending, of course, on the car and the driving habits of the person behind the wheel.

And that doesn’t include the cost of maintenance and parking — the two daily costs commonly associated with driving.