Colorado Gas Prices and Why They Are What They Are
Prices as of September 22, 2026, per AAA · Updated September 24, 2026
As of September 22, 2026, regular gasoline in Colorado averages $4.37/gallon (the 23rd-lowest in the U.S.), per AAA. $0.11 below AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22. State fuel taxes and fees are 30.2 cents per gallon (Tax Foundation, 2026 edition). Federal gasoline tax adds 18.4 cents per gallon. In EIA's weekly survey, Colorado regular was $4.257 in the week of 2026-09-21, 38.3% higher than the same week a year earlier (nearest prior week, 2025-09-15).
How Colorado got here
EIA weekly retail regular, all formulations; EMM_EPMR_PTE_SCO_DPG and EMM_EPMR_PTE_NUS_DPG; retrieved 2026-09-22, through 2026-09-21. Monthly means pair identical weekly dates; months with fewer than three paired weeks and the current month are excluded from the chart. EIA weekly retail gasoline.
Last twelve months: paired monthly means
| Month | Colorado | U.S. | Gap | Paired weeks | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09 | $4.225 | $4.318 | $-0.093 | 3 | partial (3 paired weeks) |
| 2026-08 | $4.174 | $4.058 | $+0.116 | 5 | complete |
| 2026-07 | $3.784 | $3.932 | $-0.148 | 4 | complete |
| 2026-06 | $3.872 | $4.050 | $-0.177 | 5 | complete |
| 2026-05 | $4.441 | $4.479 | $-0.038 | 4 | complete |
| 2026-04 | $3.780 | $4.103 | $-0.323 | 4 | complete |
| 2026-03 | $3.536 | $3.638 | $-0.102 | 5 | complete |
| 2026-02 | $2.614 | $2.907 | $-0.294 | 4 | complete |
| 2026-01 | $2.324 | $2.808 | $-0.485 | 4 | complete |
| 2025-12 | $2.300 | $2.894 | $-0.594 | 5 | complete |
| 2025-11 | $2.635 | $3.050 | $-0.414 | 4 | complete |
| 2025-10 | $2.793 | $3.060 | $-0.267 | 4 | complete |
Highest weekly observation, nominal dollars: $4.870 on 2022-06-20; lowest weekly observation, nominal dollars: $1.037 on 2001-12-17.
Where the $4.37 goes
| Component | $/gallon | Share | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly WTI crude proxy | $2.00 | 45.8% | EIA monthly WTI |
| Federal and Colorado fuel taxes | $0.49 | 11.1% | Tax Foundation, 2026 edition |
| Unallocated residual (after the monthly WTI crude proxy and taxes) | $1.88 | 43.1% | computed; not attributed to components |
The crude-oil share of the price is set by a world market that every state's refiners buy from; the differences between states come from taxes, fuel specifications, and refining and distribution costs. EIA: factors affecting gasoline prices.
Why Colorado is below the U.S. average
Taxes and supply costs
Colorado's state fuel tax ranks 26 among the 50 states (Tax Foundation, 2026 edition). The crude-oil share of the price is set by a world market that every state's refiners buy from; the differences between states come from taxes, fuel specifications, and refining and distribution costs. The amount after the crude proxy and taxes is the unallocated residual after crude and taxes.
What a gallon costs in work time
At Colorado's median hourly wage of $28.75 (BLS OEWS, May 2025), a gallon of regular costs 9.1 minutes of work. BLS OEWS. Compare gasoline affordability.
State policies that show up at the pump
| Policy or supply base | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Refining base | 2 operating refineries, 103,000 b/d (EIA Refinery Capacity Report 2026, as of 2026-01-01) | Source |
State government control
| Control in 2026 | Unified Democratic |
| Years of unified Democratic control, 2001–2026 | 14 |
| Years of unified Republican control | 2 |
| Years of split government | 10 |
Party control by year from Ballotpedia, compiled 2026-09-08; counts computed at build. Ballotpedia.
Questions people ask
How does Colorado compare with the U.S. this week?
$0.11 below AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22.
What share of the price is tax?
Combined state and federal taxes are 11.1% of regular (Tax Foundation, 2026 edition).
What does diesel cost in Colorado?
AAA diesel averages $6.22 as of September 22, 2026.
Compare: all states ranked · Colorado electricity rates · gasoline prices by country · refining · why gas prices are high.
Sources: AAA (pump prices), Tax Foundation, 2026 edition, EIA federal gasoline tax, EIA monthly WTI, EIA weekly retail gasoline, and BLS OEWS. The residual is computed, not attributed to components. See methodology.