It is now official: the average price of a gallon of gasoline was higher in 2012 than any year on record, according to data from the American Automobile Association, or AAA.

The national average price of for the year was $3.60 a gallon, a significant jump from the previous record of $3.51 set in 2011. While 2008 is famous for a huge summer spike that drove the average above $4 a gallon, price weren't as consistently high as this year, leaving 2008 in third place overall at $3.25.

"Record high gas prices have made this the most expensive year yet for motorists," said AAA spokesman Avery Ash. "Factors as volatile as major hurricanes, refinery outages and tension in the Middle East resulted in significant frustration for people filling up their cars."

AAA said the national average has broken a daily record high for a total a 248 days in 2012, including 134 consecutive days of records. April 5 and 6 marked the highest daily national average of the year at $3.94 a gallon on while the price dropped to its low point of $3.22 on Dec. 20.

The states with the most expensive annual averages for 2012 included Hawaii ($4.31), Alaska ($4.09), California ($4.03), New York ($3.90) and Connecticut ($3.90). The states with the least-expensive annual averages included South Carolina ($3.35), Missouri ($3.38), Mississippi ($3.39), Tennessee ($3.40) and Oklahoma ($3.41).