The national average price for regular gas dropped again on Wednesday, falling to $4.459 per gallon. It is the second straight day that fuel costs have decreased after the Memorial Day holiday, traditionally known as the start of the summer driving season and, subsequently, an increase at the pumps.
Fuel prices have trended downward over the last few days, following last week’s 2026 high of $4.564 per gallon on May 21. Wednesday’s gas prices are over four cents per gallon less expensive than yesterday, when gas cost $4.491 per gallon. Prices are also over ten cents per gallon cheaper than a week ago, according to AAA. Fuel costs started to drop over the holiday weekend, with the national average falling to $4.507 per gallon on Memorial Day.
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Also, just as on Tuesday, six states now have average gas prices under $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.
The fluctuation in gas prices is nothing new in 2026. Since the year began, gas prices have varied between a national average of $2.79 per gallon in January, the lowest national average for gas prices in the country since 2021, and last week’s high of $4.564 per gallon. Winter storms in January and February caused gas prices to rise. However, it was not until the war with Iran began that fuel costs across the country really spiked, increasing from $2.98 per gallon on Feb. 28, when Operation Epic Fury began.
Over Memorial Day weekend, multiple reports suggested a deal was close to ending hostilities between the U.S. and Iran, and speculation could have contributed to the decline in prices. It is a stark contrast from a week ago, when, as tensions continued to rise, so, too, did gas prices. Uncertainty over the Strait of Hormuz blockade led to fuel costs rising for most of last week.
During the last month, the average price of a gallon of gas in the U.S. rose by over 34 cents, from $4.111 to $4.459. Previously this month, gas prices increased 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.”
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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.
For the second straight day, the state with the lowest gas prices in the nation is Indiana, with a statewide average of $3.858 per gallon. Mississippi is next with an average of $3.95 per gallon, followed by Georgia at $3.958 per gallon. All three states have rotated over the last two weeks in having the distinction of being the state with the lowest gas prices in the country. Oklahoma and Texas rank fourth and fifth among the states with the cheapest fuel costs, at $3.959 and $3.962 per gallon, respectively.
Meanwhile, California remains the state with the most expensive gas prices in the country at $6.094 per gallon. Next is Washington state at $5.752 per gallon, followed by Hawaii, with a statewide average price of $5.655 per gallon. Oregon is next, with an average price of $5.29 per gallon, and then Alaska at $5.255 per gallon.
