National gas price up nearly 30 cents in one week
Published 1:30 am Friday, May 1, 2026
AAA reported on Thursday that after ticking down for nearly two weeks, gas prices are going back up again with the national average seeing a 27-cent hike in one week.
The national average is $1.12 higher than it was this time last year, as oil prices surge above $100/barrel with no indication of when the Strait of Hormuz will reopen. Gas prices are the highest they’ve been in four years, since late July 2022.
As of Thursday, the national average was $4.30 per gallon. In Washington state, the average price per gallon is a record $5.57, and $5.68 in Grays Harbor County. The cheapest gas in Washington is $4.82 per gallon in Asotin County.
According to GasBuddy.com, Q-Mart II in Aberdeen continues to boast the cheapest gas in Grays Harbor County at $5.09 per gallon, with AM/PM in Aberdeen at $5.39, and Safeway charging $5.49. Mobil, 7-Eleven and Circle K in Hoquiam are also at $5.49.
As of Monday, April 27, “Average gasoline prices rose in 39 states over the last week, with the national average moving higher, while diesel prices declined in most states, offering a brief divergence at the pump,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “However, that divergence may prove short-lived. Oil prices have been climbing again as markets react to renewed geopolitical tensions and the cancellation of talks between the U.S. and Iran. As a result, gasoline prices are set to rise further this week, with diesel expected to follow. Many inland states — including those in the Great Lakes and Plains — could see average gas prices climb to their highest levels since 2022, while price-cycling markets may also experience another round of hikes in the next few days.”
The U.S. Energy Information Administration says that 51 percent of the price of a gallon of gas is determined by crude oil prices, 16 percent is attributable to federal and state taxes, 18 percent is distribution and marketing, and refining costs and profits account for 14 percent.
