The national average price for a gallon of regular gas decreased, technically, for the ninth consecutive day on Wednesday, dropping to $4.02 per gallon, according to AAA. It was a small decrease, but a decrease nevertheless, from Tuesday, when the price for a gallon of regular gas was $4.022.
Before the current nine consecutive days of decreases at the pumps, fuel costs had significantly increased due to the military conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran, which began on Feb. 28. Gas prices dropped 2 cents per gallon from Monday and 7 cents per gallon from last Thursday, when the national average price for a gallon of regular gas was $4.09. Wednesday’s price is slightly lower than a week ago, at slightly less than 9 cents per gallon.
Prices remain more expensive than a month ago, according to AAA, but that gap is narrowing. As of today, gas prices are less than 8 cents per gallon lower than a month ago, when the cost of regular gas was $3.942 per gallon.
Since gas hit $2.79 per gallon on Jan. 12, a five-year low, prices have gradually increased. Initially, winter weather nationwide was blamed for rising fuel costs, as snowstorms in January and February disrupted oil refinery operations and production. However, fuel prices began to soar after the Iran war began in late February. During the first week of March, a gallon of regular gas increased to $2.98. By March 31, the national average price of regular gas had risen to $4.02 per gallon. Gas prices reached a 2026 high of $4.16 per gallon on April 9.
Notably, the recent string of decreases at the pumps followed Energy Secretary Chris Wright’s warning that it could be some time before the country sees regular gas prices near $3 per gallon again.
“I don’t know,” Wright said during an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday. “That could happen later this year. That might not happen until next year. But prices have likely peaked.”
On Monday, President Donald Trump disagreed with Wright’s assessment. He predicted gas prices would drop much sooner than the Energy Secretary’s prediction, suggesting that fuel costs would drop as soon as the war in Iran concluded.
“No, I think he’s wrong on that. Totally wrong,” said Trump. Gas prices will fall “as soon as this ends,” he added.
Last week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent predicted gas prices could return to the $3 per gallon price point sometime during the summer. His prediction was closer to what the president said this week.
“I’m optimistic that sometime between June 20 and September 20, we can have $3 gas again,” Bessent said at the time.
“We’ll see,” he added. “But I think over the summer we could see gas prices starting with a three sooner rather than later.”
Regardless of whether the national price for a gallon of regular gas is high or low, fuel costs vary by region. The highest gas prices in the nation are in the western U.S. The most affordable gas prices are found in the Midwest and the Great Plains states.
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California remains the state with the highest statewide average gas price in the country, holding steady at $5.829 per gallon just as it was on Tuesday. Next is Hawaii at $5.658 per gallon, and then Washington state at $5.38 per gallon. Oregon and Nevada make up the remaining states of the top five with the highest gas prices in the country. Oregon has a statewide average of $4.971 per gallon, and Nevada is at $4.93 per gallon.
Oklahoma continues to have the lowest gas prices in the country at $3.381 per gallon. This is followed by Kansas at $3.467 per gallon. Iowa is next with a statewide average of $3.51 per gallon, followed by Nebraska, holding steady at $3.554 per gallon, just as it was on Tuesday. Arkansas is next at $3.568 per gallon.