The national average price for regular gas continued its upward trend on Tuesday, rising to $4.018 per gallon on the last day of March, according to AAA. It is the most expensive gas prices have been since August 2022, after increasing by over one dollar per gallon in the last month.
Since gas prices reached a 5-year low of $2.79 per gallon on Jan. 12, they have gradually risen over the weeks. First, the rise in costs was attributed to winter storms that plagued the country and affected fuel shipments in late January and February. A month ago, the national average price for regular gas was $2.982 per gallon. Since Operation Epic Fury, the joint military operation with Israel against Iran, began, the national average price for a gallon of regular gas has soared. The military operation has caused great fluctuation with the global oil market and prices.
The surge in gas prices across the country has been a stark contrast to the previous years under President Donald Trump. Affordable fuel costs were a staple of his time in office, and current trends buck Trump’s accomplishments and campaign promises regarding affordability. U.S. gas prices are now higher than during the last two years of Trump’s predecessor, and regular political scapegoat, former President Joe Biden.
A trend about gas prices that hasn’t changed over the years, regardless of presidential administrations, is that fuel costs vary by area of the country, with some regions having much lower gas prices than others. And while that remains true to a degree, recent costs have arguably diminished some of the value in those differences. Earlier this year, 43 states had average gas prices under $3 per gallon. Today, no state has an average gas price below $3.27 per gallon.
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California is by far the state with the most expensive gas prices in the nation, with a statewide average approaching $6 per gallon. Life for residents of the Golden State has not been great at the pumps, as Tuesday’s average price in California for a gallon of regular gas is $5.887. Next is Hawaii, at $5.452 per gallon. Washington state has the third-highest average gas prices in the country, with an average of $5.346 per gallon. Oregon and Nevada are next at $4.933 and $4.931 per gallon, respectively.
Oklahoma has the cheapest gas prices in the nation, with a state average of $3.272. A month ago in the Sooner State, the average price for a gallon of regular gas was $2.46. Iowa is next, threatening to take the honor of being the state with the cheapest gas from Oklahoma, which currently has a state average of $3.282. Kansas is also close, at $3.288 per gallon. Nebraska is next at $3.369, followed by South Dakota at $3.397.