{"id":2605341,"date":"2026-05-21T06:59:01","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T10:59:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gas-prices-rise-to-new-national-average-record-high-price-for-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-05-21T06:59:50","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T10:59:50","slug":"gas-prices-rise-to-new-national-average-record-high-price-for-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gas-prices-rise-to-new-national-average-record-high-price-for-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Gas prices: Rise to new national average record high price for 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fgas-prices-rise-to-new-national-average-record-high-price-for-2026%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2605341&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Regular gas prices in the U.S.climbed for a fifth straight day,reaching a new 2026 record of **$4.564 per gallon** (AAA data). The increase comes just before the **Memorial Day weekend**, a period when travel typically kicks off the summer driving season and <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >pushes fuel costs higher<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The article attributes the surge to ongoing tensions with **iran** and the continued closure of the **strait of Hormuz**, a key chokepoint for transporting global oil. after starting around **$2.98** per gallon in late February, prices have risen sharply, including a jump of more than **54 cents** over the past month (from **$4.022** to **$4.564**). GasBuddy warns conditions could worsen, estimating Memorial Day fuel costs could be about **$1.48 more expensive than last year**, and that the national average may approach **$5 per gallon** or higher if the conflict and blockade persist.<\/p>\n<p>Prices vary widely by region: **Mississippi** reported the lowest average at **$4.017**, followed by **Georgia**, **indiana**, **Louisiana**, and **Texas**. **California** had the highest average at **$6.143**, with **Washington**, **Hawaii**, **Oregon**, and **Alaska** also among the most expensive states.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The national average price for regular gas increased for the fifth consecutive day on Thursday to $4.564 per gallon, setting a new record high price for 2026, according to data from AAA. The previous high for 2026 was $4.56, set earlier this month. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thursday\u2019s new high for the year comes a day before the beginning of the Memorial Day Weekend holiday, as many people head to their Memorial Day Weekend destinations beginning Friday afternoon. Memorial Day Weekend is traditionally recognized as the start of the summer driving season and the onset of subsequent gas price increases.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4575955\/gas-prices-fuel-costs-creep-up-again-days-away-from-memorial-day-weekend\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Gas prices: Fuel costs creep up again days away from Memorial Day weekend<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4573835\/gas-prices-three-consecutive-days-of-increases-at-the-pumps-to-begin-work-week\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Gas prices: Three consecutive days of increases at the pumps to begin the week<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4564153\/gas-prices-second-consecutive-week-day-in-which-prices-dropped\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Gas prices: Second consecutive week day in which prices dropped<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div style=\"position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0px; padding: 100% 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; will-change: transform;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/e.infogram.com\/bdc07528-2e2b-416b-ba52-abf34cf63783?src=embed&#038;embed_type=responsive_iframe\" title=\"Gas Prices\" allowfullscreen allow=\"fullscreen\" style=\"position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; top: 0px; left: 0px; border-width: medium; border-style: none; border-color: currentcolor; border-image: initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gas prices are expected to keep trending upward as the war with Iran continues and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, a vital waterway for the transportation of the world\u2019s oil supply, located in the Middle East between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. The military conflict with Iran has driven gas prices up from $2.98 per gallon on Feb. 28, when Operation Epic Fury began. <\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over the last month, the average price of a gallon of gas in the U.S. has increased by more than 54 cents, rising from $4.022 to $4.564. Earlier in May, fuel costs rose by more than 30 cents per gallon in a week, pushing the national average <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4554824\/gas-prices-over-30-cents-per-gallon-more-expensive-than-a-week-ago\/\">from $4.176 to $4.483<\/a>. With the military conflict with Iran entering its 12th week, American consumers have been hit hard at the pumps, and gas prices are <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gasbuddy.com\/newsroom\/pressrelease\/2026\/05\/20\/gasbuddy-forecasts-most-expensive-summer-at-the-pump-in-years-amid-strait-closure-1169\">expected to get worse<\/a>, according to GasBuddy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis is the most volatile summer at the pump in years, and the Strait of Hormuz closure is at the center of it,\u201d <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gasbuddy.com\/newsroom\/pressrelease\/2026\/05\/20\/gasbuddy-forecasts-most-expensive-summer-at-the-pump-in-years-amid-strait-closure-1169\">said<\/a> Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. \u201cAmericans are going to pay billions more to get where they\u2019re 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 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fearing-losses-in-november-state-democrats-flip-flop-on-gas-taxes\/\" title=\"Fearing Losses in November, State Democrats Flip-Flop on ... Taxes\">suspending gas taxes<\/a> 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.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fuel costs will be \u201c$1.48 more expensive on this Memorial Day compared to last year,\u201d according to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gasbuddy.com\/newsroom\/pressrelease\/2026\/05\/20\/gasbuddy-forecasts-most-expensive-summer-at-the-pump-in-years-amid-strait-closure-1169\">GasBuddy<\/a>. Additionally, many models show the national average for a gallon of regular gas reaching $5 per gallon, if not more, in upcoming weeks, if the war continues and the Strait of Hormuz remains blockaded.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative; width: 100%; height: 0px; padding: 66.7% 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; will-change: transform;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/e.infogram.com\/9f7e7959-0223-42b8-b5f6-3191856ffbff?src=embed&#038;embed_type=responsive_iframe\" title=\"Crude oil prices since Jan 28\" allowfullscreen allow=\"fullscreen\" style=\"position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; top: 0px; left: 0px; border: none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Regardless of prices, one thing that will remain certain about fuel costs is that they vary by state and region. Currently, the highest gas prices in the nation are in the western U.S., while the lowest are in the Gulf states. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense\/4575349\/strait-hormuz-iran-choke-point-global-economy\/\"><strong>FIRST, THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ, WHAT CHOKE POINT COULD BE NEXT?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mississippi has the cheapest gas prices in the country, with a statewide average of $4.017 per gallon on Thursday. Georgia is next with an average price of $4.032 per gallon. Indiana has climbed to the state with the third-lowest gas prices in the country, with an average of $4.048. Louisiana is next at $4.057 per gallon, followed by Texas at $4.092 per gallon.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meanwhile, California has the highest gas prices in the country at $6.143 per gallon. This is followed by Washington state at $5.788 per gallon. Next is Hawaii, with a statewide average price of $5.646 per gallon, and then Oregon, with an average price of $5.353 per gallon. Alaska rounds out the top five states with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gas-prices-increase-at-the-pumps-amid-tariffs-talk-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"...: Increase at the pumps amid tariffs talk - Washington Examiner\">highest fuel costs<\/a> in the nation, with an average price of $5.273 per gallon. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>AAA: Regular gas hits record $4.564\/gal in 2026, up for 5th day<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2677,"featured_media":2605344,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Screenshot-2025-08-25-at-6.35.06-AM.png?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[34477,32544,5708,40269],"class_list":["post-2605341","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-fuel-costs","tag-gas-prices","tag-inflation","tag-national-average"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Screenshot-2025-08-25-at-6.35.06-AM.png?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2605341","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2677"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2605341"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2605341\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2605346,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2605341\/revisions\/2605346"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2605344"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2605341"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2605341"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2605341"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}