Gas dips to $4.36 a gallon, still $1.25 above last year
The national average for regular gas fell to $4.36 a gallon Thursday, AAA says, down about 5 cents from a week ago. That is still $1.25 more than a year ago. Diesel, which moves the trucks that stock stores, averages $6.28 after setting a record of $6.53 in late September.
Gas prices are inching down, but they are still far above last year. AAA's national average for a gallon of regular was $4.3612 on Thursday. That is down from $4.3667 on Wednesday and $4.4137 a week ago, AAA's daily figures show.
The gap with last year is the bigger story. A year ago, regular averaged $3.1156. That makes today's price about $1.25 higher. A month ago it was $4.1514, so September's run-up has not fully unwound. AAA's own headline says the national average is dipping "following record-setting September."
Diesel matters even for people who never buy it. Trucks, farm equipment and delivery vans run on it, so its price feeds into what stores charge. AAA puts diesel at $6.2847 a gallon, down from $6.3895 a week ago but well above $3.6791 a year ago. AAA lists diesel's all-time high at $6.5276, set on Sept. 22, 2026.
Premium averages $5.27 and mid-grade $4.88, AAA says. E85, a fuel blend with more ethanol, averages $3.33.
Prices vary a lot by state. Hawaii is near $5.63. In the Northeast, Connecticut is about $4.44 and Vermont $4.42, while Maryland is about $4.21 and Delaware $4.12, according to AAA's state map.
The reason prices stay high is overseas. The U.S.-Iran war has largely closed the Strait of Hormuz since Feb. 28, and Brent crude was back above $100 a barrel this week, The Guardian reported.
There may be relief tools on the way. The International Energy Agency said member countries stand ready to release more reserve oil and would put diesel first, Al Jazeera reported.
What we know: Regular gas is about 5 cents cheaper than last week.
What we don't: Whether new Gulf tensions will push prices back up before the holiday weekend.
Where outlets agree AAA's figures and The Guardian both show Americans paying high prices for gas and diesel.
Where they differ AAA's daily figures show gas and diesel prices easing from a week ago, while The Guardian says Americans are grappling with soaring diesel costs.