Data from AAA shows that gas has cracked $4.00 per gallon in the United States on average. In the trailing days of March, the average price for a gallon of gasoline was $3.990, already up more than a dollar from the month prior. The last time prices were so high was in August, 2022.
The change in gas prices is somewhat seasonal: as the weather warms, more people take to the roads for fun rather than just commuting on them. However, the real spike is as a result of the American war on Iran. Prices have soared since American and Israeli missiles landed in the country, which controls the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait is located between Oman and Iran, connecting valuable Iranian oil with the rest of the world via the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. In 2024, estimates say that 20 percent of global petroleum liquids passed through the Strait. With Iran’s hold on the Strait, oil traffic has fallen drastically, in turn driving prices for all sorts of goods, gas included.
Prices are still a full dollar per gallon off their 2022 high, which arrived in June. However, tensions in Iran have continued to keep prices high. Here, we’ve compiled a list of the ten most and least-expensive places to fill up in the US.
Top Ten Highest Gas Prices By State
- California — $5.892
- Hawaii — $5.462
- Washington — $5.359
- Oregon — $4.956
- Nevada — $4.940
- Arizona — $4.696
- Alaska — $4.591
- Idaho — $4.272
- Illinois — $4.251
- Florida — $4.219
Notably, all of the ten most expensive states to buy gasoline in are above the national average. It indicates a huge gulf (pun intended?) in gas prices between some of the country’s most expensive places to live and those below. These states often respond the most to price increases, given the already high price of fuel. California, consistently home to the most expensive gas in the nation, sits at an average of nearly six dollars for a gallon of gas. One month ago, that figure was $4.657, which is still more than the current national average.
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Top Ten Lowest Gas Prices By State
- Oklahoma — $3.270
- Kansas — $3.319
- Nebraska — $3.411
- Iowa — $3.429
- North Dakota — $3.436
- Missouri — $3.464
- Arkansas — $3.490
- South Dakota — $3.496
- Minnesota — $3.519
- Georgia — $3.676
The opposite of the above, these states are the cheapest places to buy gas right now, with all ten falling below the national average. However, these states are not immune to price increases. AAA data shows that the cheapest gas in the Union, Oklahoma, has still seen a massive spike in pricing. A month ago, Oklahoma’s average per-gallon price was just $2.475. Now, it exceeds that amount by more than a dollar per gallon.
The Feds Have One Plan To Grant Some Temporary Relief
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In May, consumers may get some temporary relief, though the plan is more of a mixed bag than a lifeline, as many Americans struggle to afford basic necessities like cars and the fuel they need. The EPA says that from May 1 to May 20, it will allow the sale of E15 fuel containing higher ethanol content. Typically, most gasoline in the US is blended with ethanol, but higher ethanol concentrations have been sold in the past to stave off high gas prices. This time, the trade-off comes to consumers in the form of lower prices. Buyers could save up to $.25 per gallon at the pump, but the effect will be negated some by the one to two percent hit buyers will also take in fuel economy. The added ethanol does not burn as cleanly as lower-ethanol fuels, leading to a reduction in efficiency.
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