I just filled up in the VA. suburbs $2.43 gal. Here in MD $2.57 DC $2.55. I just discovered that the majority of our cotton here in the US comes from China. Due to their horrible weather this years cotton was terrible thus much higher prices. Fine cotton for shirts etc is long staple cotton comes from Africa and Egypt. Our cotton is short staple cotton and is for more industrial use. With shipping cost going up monthly, we could be paying $12.00 per yd. before spring. China is a long way so the shipping is the major cost not the cotton plus it is shipped to a textile mill from China to be printed. Shipped again. Then it is put on the boards and packaged for brokers to sell to LQS's, and shipped again.