Gas prices have hit an unwelcome milestone ahead of the Memorial Day holiday weekend with an average gallon now costing more than $4 in every state.
That’s a 50 percent jump in price since President Donald Trump went to war with Iran in late February and more than $1.25 more expensive for an average gallon than the 2025 holiday weekend.
"This is the most volatile summer at the pump in years," said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at price-tracking site GasBuddy, this week. "Americans are going to pay billions more to get where they're going this summer."
Prices are highest in California at $6.14 a gallon, followed by Washington ($5.79), Hawaii ($5.65), Oregon ($5.35) and Alaska ($5.28), according to auto club AAA.
The Iran war is having a significant impact on U.S. gas prices due to Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, where 20 percent of the world’s oil supply passes.
The Strait’s shipping traffic has ground to a virtual halt amid blockades and the threat of Iranian attacks, sending oil prices past $100 a barrel.
The war has combined with several other factors to cause the spike. Gas prices generally tend to rise in the warmer summer months because refineries use a more expensive heat-resistant blend of fuel, price-tracking site GasBuddy noted.
These factors have pushed the average gas gallon price to $4.01 in Georgia, the cheapest state in the country. Mississippi ($4.01), Texas ($4.03), Louisiana ($4.05) and Oklahoma ($4.09) are the next four cheapest.
Prices aren’t coming down anytime soon, either, DeHaan said. “Even after the Strait reopens, it could take a year or more for prices to fully recover,” he said.
Consumers are voicing their frustrations over fuel costs. Some 81 percent say the price of gas has put either a minor or major strain on their budget, according to a May 2026 survey by NPR/PBS News/Marist Poll.
Another 63 percent place a “great deal” or “good amount” of blame on President Donald Trump.
The Trump administration hasn’t appeared to offer much sympathy to consumers. The president has said on multiple occasions that Americans’ financial situation doesn’t motivate him to strike a peace deal with Iran, and that high gas prices are worth it for eliminating an Iranian nuclear threat.
Gas prices have Republicans are worried about Americans’ perception of the party ahead of November’s midterm elections.
“I don’t think they have to worry about being seen as out of touch because they’re acting out of touch,” a Republican operative told news outlet NOTUS. “They’re doing it to themselves.”
