Washington 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 Washington averages $5.56/gallon (the 2nd-highest in the U.S.), per AAA. $1.08 above AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22. State fuel taxes and fees are 60.2 cents per gallon (Tax Foundation, 2026 edition). Federal gasoline tax adds 18.4 cents per gallon. In EIA's weekly survey, Washington regular was $5.516 in the week of 2026-09-21, 21.6% higher than the same week a year earlier (nearest prior week, 2025-09-15).
How Washington got here
EIA weekly retail regular, all formulations; EMM_EPMR_PTE_SWA_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 | Washington | U.S. | Gap | Paired weeks | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09 | $5.501 | $4.318 | $+1.183 | 3 | partial (3 paired weeks) |
| 2026-08 | $5.139 | $4.058 | $+1.081 | 5 | complete |
| 2026-07 | $4.913 | $3.932 | $+0.981 | 4 | complete |
| 2026-06 | $5.298 | $4.050 | $+1.249 | 5 | complete |
| 2026-05 | $5.571 | $4.479 | $+1.092 | 4 | complete |
| 2026-04 | $5.242 | $4.103 | $+1.140 | 4 | complete |
| 2026-03 | $4.773 | $3.638 | $+1.136 | 5 | complete |
| 2026-02 | $3.945 | $2.907 | $+1.037 | 4 | complete |
| 2026-01 | $3.674 | $2.808 | $+0.866 | 4 | complete |
| 2025-12 | $3.894 | $2.894 | $+0.999 | 5 | complete |
| 2025-11 | $4.095 | $3.050 | $+1.046 | 4 | complete |
| 2025-10 | $4.331 | $3.060 | $+1.271 | 4 | complete |
Highest weekly observation, nominal dollars: $5.595 on 2026-05-11; lowest weekly observation, nominal dollars: $1.502 on 2003-12-29.
Where the $5.56 goes
| Component | $/gallon | Share | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly WTI crude proxy | $2.00 | 36.0% | EIA monthly WTI |
| Federal and Washington fuel taxes | $0.79 | 14.1% | Tax Foundation, 2026 edition |
| Unallocated residual (after the monthly WTI crude proxy and taxes) | $2.77 | 49.9% | 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 Washington is above the U.S. average
Taxes and supply costs
Washington's state fuel tax ranks 4 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 Washington's median hourly wage of $30.28 (BLS OEWS, May 2025), a gallon of regular costs 11.0 minutes of work. BLS OEWS. Compare gasoline affordability.
State policies that show up at the pump
| Policy or supply base | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Refining base | 5 operating refineries, 648,200 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 | 18 |
| Years of unified Republican control | 0 |
| Years of split government | 8 |
Party control by year from Ballotpedia, compiled 2026-09-08; counts computed at build. Ballotpedia.
Questions people ask
How does Washington compare with the U.S. this week?
$1.08 above AAA's national average of $4.47 on 2026-09-22.
What share of the price is tax?
Combined state and federal taxes are 14.1% of regular (Tax Foundation, 2026 edition).
What does diesel cost in Washington?
AAA diesel averages $7.46 as of September 22, 2026.
Compare: all states ranked · Washington 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.