Gas Prices by State: Why a Gallon Costs So Much More in Some States
Prices as of September 22, 2026, per AAA · Updated September 25, 2026
As of September 22, 2026, regular gasoline averages $6.19/gallon in California and $3.96 in Texas, per AAA; the national average is $4.48 (EIA, week of September 21, 2026). The crude-oil share of the price is set by a world market that every state's refiners buy from; delivered costs differ by crude slate and transport (EIA).
Why California is the most expensive state.
Gasoline prices across the states
Average price for regular, September 22, 2026. Darker means more expensive. Click a state for its full price breakdown.
All states, ranked
| State | Regular ($/gal) | Diesel ($/gal) | State fuel taxes (¢/gal) | AAA national comparison |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 6.19 | 8.44 | 73.6 | $1.71 above AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Washington | 5.56 | 7.46 | 60.2 | $1.08 above AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Hawaii | 5.55 | 7.14 | 18.5 | $1.08 above AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Nevada | 5.35 | 6.84 | 24.8 | $0.87 above AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Oregon | 5.10 | 6.87 | 40.0 | $0.63 above AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Alaska | 5.06 | 6.66 | 8.9 | $0.58 above AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Idaho | 4.97 | 6.59 | 33.0 | $0.49 above AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Utah | 4.95 | 6.56 | 32.5 | $0.48 above AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Illinois | 4.89 | 6.83 | 70.4 | $0.41 above AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Michigan | 4.88 | 6.88 | 53.4 | $0.41 above AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Arizona | 4.71 | 6.45 | 19.0 | $0.23 above AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Montana | 4.61 | 6.31 | 33.8 | $0.13 above AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Pennsylvania | 4.57 | 6.61 | 58.7 | $0.09 above AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Wyoming | 4.56 | 6.21 | 24.0 | $0.08 above AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Connecticut | 4.50 | 6.47 | 25.0 | $0.02 above AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| New York | 4.49 | 6.50 | 24.2 | $0.02 above AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Ohio | 4.49 | 6.82 | 38.5 | $0.01 above AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| New Mexico | 4.48 | 6.32 | 18.9 | $0.00 above AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Vermont | 4.46 | 6.46 | 34.9 | $0.01 below AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Wisconsin | 4.42 | 6.62 | 32.9 | $0.05 below AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Maine | 4.42 | 6.52 | 31.4 | $0.05 below AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| New Jersey | 4.42 | 6.46 | 49.1 | $0.06 below AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| District of Columbia | 4.41 | 6.51 | 35.3 | $0.07 below AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Massachusetts | 4.40 | 6.39 | 27.6 | $0.07 below AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Rhode Island | 4.40 | 6.35 | 41.1 | $0.07 below AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Minnesota | 4.38 | 6.35 | 32.7 | $0.09 below AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| New Hampshire | 4.38 | 6.41 | 23.8 | $0.09 below AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| West Virginia | 4.37 | 6.46 | 35.7 | $0.10 below AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Colorado | 4.37 | 6.22 | 30.2 | $0.11 below AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Delaware | 4.36 | 6.43 | 23.0 | $0.11 below AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Iowa | 4.36 | 6.31 | 30.0 | $0.12 below AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Nebraska | 4.29 | 6.23 | 32.7 | $0.18 below AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| South Dakota | 4.28 | 6.28 | 30.0 | $0.19 below AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| North Dakota | 4.24 | 6.24 | 23.0 | $0.23 below AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Florida | 4.24 | 6.26 | 40.1 | $0.23 below AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Maryland | 4.22 | 6.49 | 46.8 | $0.25 below AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Virginia | 4.21 | 6.39 | 42.4 | $0.27 below AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Missouri | 4.18 | 6.35 | 30.0 | $0.29 below AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Kansas | 4.18 | 6.25 | 25.0 | $0.30 below AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Kentucky | 4.17 | 6.38 | 26.4 | $0.30 below AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| North Carolina | 4.13 | 6.23 | 41.2 | $0.35 below AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Georgia | 4.10 | 6.34 | 34.0 | $0.38 below AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Arkansas | 4.07 | 6.19 | 25.0 | $0.40 below AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Tennessee | 4.07 | 6.22 | 27.4 | $0.41 below AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Oklahoma | 4.06 | 6.03 | 20.0 | $0.42 below AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| South Carolina | 4.04 | 6.12 | 28.8 | $0.43 below AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Alabama | 4.02 | 6.16 | 31.0 | $0.45 below AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Louisiana | 4.01 | 6.03 | 20.9 | $0.47 below AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Indiana | 4.00 | 6.91 | 63.1 | $0.47 below AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Mississippi | 3.98 | 6.06 | 24.4 | $0.49 below AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
| Texas | 3.96 | 5.97 | 20.0 | $0.51 below AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22 |
What actually makes a state expensive
- Taxes. State fuel taxes and fees range from 8.9 to 73.6 cents per gallon among the 50 states (Tax Foundation, 2026 edition). Federal gasoline tax adds 18.4 cents per gallon.
- Fuel specifications and carbon programs. Some states require special gasoline blends or operate carbon-pricing programs whose costs are embedded in the pump price rather than listed as a tax; the California, Texas, Florida and Arizona pages itemize these with sources.
- Refining and distribution logistics. Refinery availability, fuel specifications and transportation costs differ by region (EIA).
Prices and state political control
Average pump price and average state fuel tax, grouped by which party holds the governorship and both legislative chambers (September 22, 2026 prices; control in 2026):
| State government control | States | Avg regular ($/gal) | Avg state fuel tax (¢/gal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unified Democratic | 16 | 4.72 | 38.9 |
| Divided or other | 11 | 4.57 | 32.5 |
| Unified Republican | 22 | 4.27 | 30.4 |
These are unweighted averages across the states in each group; a descriptive association, not a causal estimate. DC and Nebraska are excluded. Fuel-tax levels are set by legislatures. Between the Democratic and Republican groups, the average price differs by 45.2 cents and the average state tax by 8.5 cents.
Party control by year from Ballotpedia, compiled 2026-09-08; counts computed at build. Ballotpedia.
See also why diesel is so expensive (the record gap between the two columns above), gasoline affordability (minutes of work per gallon, monthly over time, and gallons per hour of median-wage work by state), gasoline prices by country (the U.S. is among the cheapest in the developed world), EV vs. gas cost by state, and electricity rates by state. The U.S. refining hub maps current refinery capacity and explains the weekly gasoline and diesel product-price proxies.
Sources: AAA state averages (pump prices; the industry-standard 50-state series — no government source publishes all-state pump prices), Tax Foundation (state fuel taxes, Tax Foundation, 2026 edition), EIA (WTI crude, national weekly average). See methodology.