AAA Weekly Fuel Report
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. (October 1, 2026) - The average for a gallon of regular gasoline in California jumped 17 cents in the past week to $6.40, bringing the state average just 3 cents shy of the all-time record of $6.43 set in June of 2022. Drivers are now paying 70 cents more than last month, and $1.76 higher than last year.
Nationwide the average for a gallon of regular gasoline dropped nearly 7 cents from last week to $4.41. This follows a record-setting September at the pump. The monthly average was $4.33, 50 cents higher than the previous September record of $3.83 set in 2023.
“While crude oil prices have dipped back into the $90 per barrel range pulling the national average down, overall gas prices remain the highest they’ve ever been for this time of the year,” said Doug Johnson, spokesperson for AAA Mountain West Group.
Fuel Prices Around the State:
San Francisco: $6.59
Oakland: $6.46
San Jose: $6.41
Sacramento: $6.35
Fresno: $6.42
Stockton: $6.29
Modesto: $6.21
AAA Shares Tips to Help Drivers Save on Gas
- Save on gas. Use the AAA Mobile App to find the cheapest gas stations along your route, plan your trip, request roadside assistance, and more. AAA Members can save 30¢ per gallon on your first fill-up at participating stations when you join Shell® Fuel Rewards®. All AAA Shell Fuel Rewards® Members save 5¢ per gallon on their fill-ups of up to 20 gallons at participating stations with complimentary Gold Status. Terms and conditions apply. Visit AAA.com/Shell for full details.
- Avoid Speeding: Fuel economy peaks at around 50 mph on most cars, then drops off as speeds increase. Driving the recommended speed limit can increase fuel economy between 7 and 14 percent.
- Regular vs. Premium: Pay close attention to the words “recommended” and “required.” If regular gas is recommended for your vehicle, that’s all you need. Choosing premium when your car doesn’t require it will only cost you money and doesn’t improve fuel economy.
- Remove unnecessary weight from your vehicle (e.g., trunk, cargo area, etc. ) as weight increases the amount of effort it takes to move the vehicle.
- Avoid Excessive Idling: When idling, car engines use up to one-half gallons of fuel per hour. Warm engines take about 10 seconds worth of fuel to restart. Shut off your engine when stopped for more than a minute and if it's safe to do so.
- Check Tire Pressure and Align Tires: Maintaining proper tire pressurereduces your tire's friction with the road. Less friction means less energy is needed to move, resulting in using less gas. Proper inflation can improve gas mileage by 0.6 percent on average.
Oil Market Dynamics
According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand decreased last week from 8.84 million barrels per day to 8.68 million. Total domestic gasoline supply decreased from 206 million barrels to 204.4 million. Gasoline production also decreased from 9.59 million barrels to 9.46 million per day.
At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, WTI rose $1.04 to settle at $90.42 per barrel. The EIA reports that U.S. crude oil inventories increased 0.9 million barrels to 427.3 million barrels, 2% above the five-year average.
EV Charging
The national average per kilowatt hour of electricity at a public EV charging station stayed the same this past week at 42 cents. In California, the average per kilowatt hour of electricity is 48 cents.
State Stats
Gas
The nation’s top 10 most expensive gasoline markets are California ($6.40), Hawaii ($5.62), Washington ($5.49), Nevada ($5.49), Oregon ($5.05), Alaska ($5.03), Utah ($4.97), Idaho ($4.97), Arizona ($4.77), and Illinois ($4.71).
The nation's top 10 least expensive gasoline markets are Indiana ($3.81), Texas ($3.94), Georgia ($3.96), Mississippi ($3.96), Louisiana ($3.97), Tennessee ($3.97), South Carolina ($3.99), Arkansas ($3.99), Alabama ($4.02), and Kentucky ($4.04).
Electric
The nation’s top 10 most expensive states for public charging per kilowatt hourare Hawaii (54 cents), West Virginia (52 cents), Louisiana (49 cents), Alaska (48 cents), California (48 cents), New Hampshire (47 cents), New Jersey (45 cents), North Dakota (44 cents), Arkansas (44 cents), and Arizona (44 cents).
The nation’s top 10 least expensive states for public charging per kilowatt hourare Kansas (31 cents), Missouri (32 cents), Iowa (33 cents), Nebraska (34 cents), Maryland (35 cents), South Dakota (35 cents), Utah (35 cents), Vermont (35 cents), Minnesota (37 cents), and New Mexico (38 cents).
Drivers can find current gas and electric charging prices along their route using the AAA Mobile App, now available on CarPlay. Find current fuel prices at GasPrices.AAA.com. Find local news releases at mwg.aaa.com/news/press-release.
