The average price of a gallon of gasoline in the District has hit the dreaded number: $4 per gallon.

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AAA Mid-Atlantic says that D.C. reached the mark Thursday night into Friday morning. The average is now a $1.02 higher than it was exactly a year ago.

“If misery loves company, the city of Washington becomes the fifth jurisdiction in the United States where pumps prices are four dollars or more,” John Townsend of AAA Mid-Atlantic said.

The price is still 19 cents short of the all time high in Washington. On July 16, 2008, gas prices topped out at $4.19 per gallon.

D.C. joins California, Hawaii, Alaska and Illinois in averaging at least $4 per gallon.

The region's average gas price, which factors in the Maryland and Virginia suburbs, held steady at $3.84 per gallon, 96 cents higher than it was a year ago.

The national average jumped a penny overnight to $3.82. A MasterCard SpendingPulse survey says that fuel sales are down 70 percent nationwide and that demand has fallen each week since the beginning of March.

Townsend says that consumer anger and a change in driving habits will be key in driving prices down. Already, people are carpooling more, taking fewer non-essential trips, and boarding mass transit.

“Consumers are downright angry about sky-high gas prices," Townsend said. "They realize that a change in consumer behavior is the major tool in their arsenal when it comes to combating high fuel prices.”

Food prices also rose nearly one percent last month, the biggest increase in almost three years, due in part of higher fuel costs for food producers, manufacturers and processors.

AAA officials expect gas prices to increase into the summer months.