Washington Examiner
· collected 2026-08-25 · by Washington Examiner Staff
The national average price for regular gas rose to $4.097 per gallon on Monday, a small increase from the previous week's $4.065. 31 states now have average prices exceeding $4 per gallon, up from earlier in the year when only one-third of states had prices above this threshold. Fuel costs have increased from their low point of $2.79 per gallon in January to the current national average. California has the highest fuel costs in the country with a statewide average of over $5.62 per gallon.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-25,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
There are currently 31 states in the US where the average price of regular gas is over $4 per gallon. The national average price has been steady between $4.05 and $4.11 for the past month, despite a slight increase from last week's $4.065 to $4.097. This comes after a significant jump in fuel costs due to the military conflict with Iran and geopolitical tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, which have driven prices up from a low of $2.79 per gallon in January to the current average. Just earlier this year, 43 states had an average gas price below $3 per gallon, and at one point, there were 23 states with averages under $2.65 per gallon and 13 with averages less than $2.50 per gallon.
Written for “Rising Gas Prices Nationwide” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 2179 · logged 2026-08-27
The national average price for regular gas remained higher than a week ago on Monday, coming in at $4.097 per gallon, according to AAA.
uncertain
price → remain → AAA
Fuel costs did drop very slightly from Monday, when the national average price was $4.099 per gallon.
asserted
price → drop → gallon
With the national average close to $4.10 per gallon, gas prices in states across the nation have naturally risen.
asserted
prices → rise → nation
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Gas prices in the U.S. have fluctuated quite a bit this summer, primarily due to the military conflict with Iran and geopolitical tensions around the Strait of Hormuz.
asserted
prices → fluctuate → Hormuz
Fuel costs have increased from the 2026 low of $2.79 per gallon in January to the current national average of $4.097 as a result.
asserted
costs → increase → result
Earlier in the year, 43 states had a statewide average gas price below $3 per gallon.
asserted
states → have → gallon
Fuel costs soared in the immediate weeks after Operation Epic Fury began on Feb. 28, reaching a record high for the year of over $4.50 per gallon in late winter.
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Fury → soar → winter
Interestingly, despite the increase in gas prices compared to the beginning of the year, over the last month, the national average price for a gallon of regular gas has remained steady, hovering between $4.05 and $4.11.
asserted
price → compare → 4.05
This is significantly cheaper than the year’s high of $4.56, set in May.
uncertain
This → set → May
However, few will take solace in that fact with gas prices still being over $4 per gallon.
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prices → take → gallon
Gas prices vary by region, with states on the West Coast typically having the highest prices in the nation.
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states → vary → nation
For the last two years, the lowest gas prices have usually been found in states in the South or Midwest.
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prices → find → South
Before military operations began in Iran, most of the states with the cheapest gas prices in the country were along the Gulf of America region.
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most → begin → region
That has since changed.
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That → change → ?
Currently, California has the highest fuel costs in the country, with a statewide average of $5.623 per gallon.
asserted
California → have → gallon
This is followed by Washington state with an average fuel cost of $5.268 per gallon.
asserted
This → follow → gallon
Alaska is next at $4.832 per gallon, followed by Nevada at $4.819 per gallon.
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Alaska → follow → gallon
Indiana has the least expensive gas prices in the nation.
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Indiana → have → nation
The Hoosier State has a statewide average for regular gas of $3.49 per gallon on Tuesday, and Texas is at $3.62.
asserted
Texas → have → 3.62
This is followed by Tennessee with an average of $3.659 per gallon.
asserted
This → follow → gallon
