The U.S. national average for a gallon of regular gasoline rose to $4.144 on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, according to AAA — the highest level recorded since the summer of 2022. The new high reflects a roughly 11-cent increase over the past week, undoing the brief downward move recorded between April 16 and April 23 when crude oil prices had pulled back below $100.

The renewed rally in crude markets — WTI settled at $99.93 and Brent at $111.26 Tuesday, both up roughly 4% on the session and at multi-week highs — is the primary driver. Crude oil costs typically account for roughly 51% of the retail gasoline price, with refining (~20%), distribution and marketing (~11%), and taxes (~18%) comprising the rest.

California remains the most expensive state at roughly $5.95 per gallon, followed by Hawaii ($5.79) and Washington ($5.54). Oregon also exceeds $5.00. The least expensive state is Oklahoma at $3.36, followed by Kansas ($3.42) and North Dakota ($3.43). Diesel is now at a national average of $5.689 per gallon, near record levels not seen since the summer of 2022.

AAA spokesperson Jana Tidwell noted in a statement Tuesday that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the duration of the conflict are the primary drivers, with seasonal demand from spring break travel adding to the upward pressure. She cautioned that further escalation or any disruption to global supplies could push averages even higher in coming weeks.

Refined product wholesale markets confirm the move. Gasoline RBOB futures gained roughly 5% Tuesday, ULSD heating oil futures gained more than 4%, and jet fuel posted similar gains. Refiner crack spreads — the spread between crude and refined products — remain near multi-year highs, signaling that refineries are running aggressively to supply summer-blend demand even as crude costs climb.

U.S. Energy Information Administration data for the week ending April 24 showed gasoline demand at 8.94 million barrels per day, up modestly from 8.81 million the previous week. Total domestic gasoline supply remains tight at 233.4 million barrels. For continuous state-level pricing, see our U.S. gas prices dashboard; for crude pricing, see the oil price dashboard.