The national average price for regular gas slightly increased on Wednesday to $3.182 per gallon, according to AAA. This was a slight rise from Tuesday’s costs when the national average for a gallon of regular gas was $3.177. It was also an increase from last week’s pricing when a gallon of regular gas cost $3.18. And a month ago, the national average for a gallon of regular gas was $3.153.
The current gas price point reflects the fluctuation in fuel costs in May. Incidentally, Wednesday’s national average price for gas is the same as it was on the last day of April. This was a slight increase from April 28, when the cost was $3.149. A week later, and just a few days into the new month, on May 5, gas prices dropped a bit to $3.165. By May 9, prices had fallen again to $3.145.
Gas prices are, however, significantly less expensive than a year ago, when the national average price for a gallon of regular gas was $3.597. Much of this decrease happened during the second half of 2024, when fuel costs underwent a gradual, precipitous decrease in the summer and fall. By the end of the year, the national average price for regular gas had dropped to $3.011 per gallon.
Fuel costs have varied quite a bit in 2025, falling to close to $3 per gallon at various points in the year and rising to nearly $3.30 per gallon at others. Several geopolitical factors, including oil supply and demand, tariffs, and wars, have impacted the national average price for gas. Ultimately, however, the main determining factor for how much one spends on gas is based on the state in which he or she resides.
States on the West Coast have the most expensive gas prices in the nation, while the states with the cheapest fuel costs are located near the Gulf of America.
Currently, Mississippi has the lowest average gas price in the country, at $2.66 per gallon. Next is Louisiana, at $2.718, and then Alabama, at $2.75. Tennessee and Texas round out the five states with the lowest gas prices in the country, with fuel costs of $2.778 per gallon and $2.79 per gallon, respectively.
California has the nation’s highest gas prices, with an average cost of $4.883 per gallon. Hawaii has the next highest prices at $4.491, followed by Washington state at $4.364. The next two states have average prices that are just barely beneath the $4-per-gallon threshold. Oregon has a statewide average price of $3.977 per gallon, while the average price for a gallon of regular gas in Nevada is $3.94 per gallon.
