The national average price for regular gas continued to decrease on Tuesday, dropping to $4.29 per gallon, according to AAA. It marked a 20-cent-per-gallon drop from a week ago, when gas cost $4.491.
Gas prices have been steadily decreasing over the last 11 days, after setting a new 2026 record high on May 21 at $4.564 per gallon. The decline in prices began on Memorial Day weekend, traditionally the start of the summer driving season and, with it, typically an increase in pump prices.
Fuel costs are also less expensive today than a month ago, when a gallon of regular gas was $4.433. Yet, despite recent decreases at the pumps, gas prices remain significantly more expensive compared to earlier this year. On January 12, 2026, the national average price for a gallon of regular gas dropped to $2.79, the lowest price in over five years. Prices began to increase in January and early February, primarily due to winter weather that hampered much of the country at the time. Prices began to soar as Operation Epic Fury commenced on Feb. 28.
After the surge in gas prices in early spring, a dip in prices at the pumps is a welcome sight. Relief at the pumps has also spread nationwide, with 17 states now reporting gas price averages below $4 per gallon, according to AAA. On May 20, every state in the nation had an average price of $4 per gallon or higher.
During the Memorial Day weekend, rumors began circulating that a peace deal between Iran and the United States was in the works. Experts theorized that this speculation has contributed to the recent drop in fuel costs. It represents a stark contrast from the middle of May, when geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and Iran continued to rise, as did gas prices. Furthermore, uncertainty surrounding the Strait of Hormuz blockade led to fuel costs rising for much of May before declining recently.
Despite recent fluctuations, one thing that remains constant about gas prices in the U.S. is that costs vary by region. The states with the lowest gas prices, with one exception, are in the South — many along the Gulf Coast. The states with the highest gas prices in the country are located in the western U.S.
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California remains the state with the highest gas prices in the country at $6.012 per gallon. Next is Washington state at $5.69 per gallon, followed by Hawaii, with a statewide average price of $5.64 per gallon. Alaska is next, with an average price of $5.225 per gallon, and then Oregon at $5.202 per gallon.
Meanwhile, Indiana remains the state with the cheapest gas prices in the country at $3.623 per gallon. Texas is next at $3.773 per gallon, followed by Oklahoma at $3.796 per gallon. Georgia is next at $3.808 per gallon. Louisiana rounds out the top five states with the lowest gas prices at $3.825 per gallon.