America's average gas price hits $4 a gallon for first time since 2022
The national average has climbed 35% since late February, when regular gasoline was still below $3, as the Iran war has sent oil prices soaring
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The average price of regular gasoline in the U.S. crossed $4 a gallon on Tuesday, reaching a level not seen since August 2022, according to AAA. The national average stood at $4.018, up from $3.99 the day before and $2.982 a month ago.
Regular gasoline prices have surged roughly 35% over the past month, AAA data shows — a sharp acceleration that began as February came to a close. Premium gasoline averaged $4.904 a gallon and diesel reached $5.454, according to AAA.
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"We have this obsession with gas prices because they dictate a lot of 'Can we drive? Can we do things we enjoy?' And now some of that is at risk," GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan told The New York Times.
The rapid increase at the pump follows weeks of escalating conflict in the Middle East and rising oil prices. Brent crude reached almost $116 a barrel earlier this week, while West Texas Intermediate climbed to around $102, as fighting in the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran entered its second month and the Strait of Hormuz — a chokepoint accounting for roughly 20% of global oil flow — remained blocked.
President Donald Trump said earlier this week that the U.S. is in talks with what he called "a new, and more reasonable, regime" in Iran, and predicted oil shipments through the strait would resume. Trump told reporters the two sides "will make a deal," though Iran has disputed that talks are even occurring.
The jump in gasoline costs is broad across fuel types. Diesel prices are now 44% above their pre-war level, The Times reported. De Haan estimated U.S. motorists would soon have accumulated an additional $10 billion in gasoline costs since the conflict began.
State-level prices vary widely. AAA data shows the highest-priced states averaging between $4.199 and $5.887 a gallon for regular, while the lowest-priced states are seeing averages between $3.272 and $3.625.