The national average price for regular gas continued its 2026 fluctuations on Tuesday, falling by seven cents in five days to $4.491 per gallon. Fuel costs decreased over Memorial Day weekend, when typically the opposite occurs, after gas prices reached a new high for the year last Thursday at $4.564 per gallon.
With the latest pricing on Tuesday, the national average price for a gallon of regular gas is lower than a week ago, when it was $4.533 per gallon. On Monday, Memorial Day, the national average price for gas was $4.507 per gallon, down from Sunday’s price. Traditionally, Memorial Day weekend marks the start of the summer driving season, which usually means an increase at the pumps.
Tuesday’s pricing is also notable because the average gas price in six states dropped below $4 per gallon. Less than a week ago, on May 20, every state in the country had an average fuel cost of over $4 per gallon.
Gas prices have increased and decreased several times over the last few weeks, typically in response to news about the war in Iran. Over Memorial Day weekend, there were reports that a possible deal to end the conflict was imminent, which could have contributed to the decline in prices. Previously, as tensions appeared to be increasing in the middle of last week, with the Strait of Hormuz still closed, and prospects for a deal to end the war bleak, gas prices increased. The military conflict with Iran has driven gas prices up from $2.98 per gallon on Feb. 28, when Operation Epic Fury began.
Over the last month, the average price of a gallon of gas in the U.S. has increased by about 40 cents, rising from $4.099 to $4.491. Earlier in May, fuel costs rose by more than 30 cents per gallon in a week, pushing the national average from $4.176 to $4.483. With the military conflict with Iran entering its 13th week, American consumers have been hit hard at the pumps, and gas prices are projected to get worse, according to GasBuddy. Of course, that primarily depends on whether the war continues or a deal is reached to end it.
“This is the most volatile summer at the pump in years, and the Strait of Hormuz closure is at the center of it,” Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said last week. “Americans are going to pay billions more to get where they’re going this summer, and even after the Strait reopens, it could take a year or more for prices to fully recover. Some states are already suspending gas taxes to ease the pain, and federal discussions are underway. Every bit of relief matters. Use every tool you have, including GasBuddy, to find the lowest price near you.”
Regardless of prices, one thing that will remain certain about fuel costs is that they vary by state and region. Currently, the highest gas prices in the nation are in the western U.S., while the lowest are in the Gulf states.
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California has the highest gas prices in the country at $6.109 per gallon. This is followed by Washington state at $5.759 per gallon. Next is Hawaii, with a statewide average price of $5.668 per gallon, and then Oregon, with an average price of $5.301 per gallon. Alaska rounds out the top five states with the highest fuel costs in the nation, with an average price of $5.253 per gallon.
Meanwhile, the state with the cheapest gas in the nation is now Indiana, with a statewide average of $3.893 per gallon. Mississippi is next with an average of $3.959 per gallon, followed by Georgia at $3.972 per gallon. All three states have held the distinction of having the lowest gas prices in the country over the last two weeks.
Oklahoma, which had been the state with the most affordable gas prices in the nation for most of the last two years, is now 4th on that ranking, with a state average of $3.974 per gallon. Next is Louisiana with an average of $3.99 per gallon.