Gas prices have fluctuated this week, with increases and decreases reported over the last seven days.
On Friday, the national average price for regular gas is $3.164 per gallon, according to AAA. This represents a slight decrease from Thursday’s cost of $3.171 and Tuesday’s cost of $3.166 per gallon. However, it is slightly higher than fuel costs from a week ago, when the national average price for a gallon of regular gas was $3.161. It is also more expensive today than a month ago, when the cost was $3.139 per gallon.
Gas prices have fluctuated over the last two months, primarily affected by geopolitical factors, from the world’s overall oil production to talks of tariffs and trade wars. For example, on March 18, days after the Trump administration touted decreasing costs at the pumps, the average price for a gallon of gas in the country increased from $3.078 to $3.268 on April 4. Prices reversed course again, dropping in cost compared to the first week in April.
Gas prices vary depending on the state and region of the country. The nation’s highest gas prices are currently on the West Coast, whereas states with the least expensive U.S. gas prices are found in and around the Gulf States region.
Currently, Mississippi has the cheapest statewide average cost for a gallon of regular gas in the nation at $2.681 per gallon. Oklahoma is next at $2.72. Next is Texas at $2.743, Louisiana at $2.752, and Alabama at $2.788.
Meanwhile, California’s average statewide gas price is approaching $5 per gallon. On Friday, the average cost for a gallon of regular gas in the Golden State was $4.797. Hawaii is the next most expensive state, at $4.512 per gallon, followed by Washington state at $4.286. The next two highest averages are slightly below the $4-per-gallon threshold. Oregon has an average fuel cost of $3.922 per gallon, and Nevada’s is $3.865.
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In and around Washington, D.C., gas prices have also increased and decreased in recent weeks.
Virginia has the lowest fuel costs in the area on Friday. The average price for a gallon of regular gas in the state is $2.998. This is only slightly less than Delaware, where the average price for a gallon of gas is $3.007. Next is Maryland, which has a statewide average price of $3.137 per gallon for regular gas. Washington, D.C., has the highest gas prices in the area, with an average price of $3.219 per gallon, a little more than five cents per gallon higher than the national average.