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Diesel is over $6 in 49 states: Where prices are highest and lowest

California has the most expensive diesel in the U.S. at an average of $8.42 per gallon, according to AAA.

· 399 words· updated September 21, 2026 at 04:56 PM
Diesel prices are displayed above $8 per gallon at a gas station in Los Angeles, on September 17, 2026, as prices reach record highs across the United States. Average diesel prices in the United States struck a record high of just under $6.27 a gallon on September 15, the motorists’ association AAA said, pressuring President Donald Trump ahead of midterm congressional elections. The price of the fuel used largely in road hauling, agriculture and construction hit $6.2694, according to the association, as the Middle East war tightens supplies and Ukraine strikes Russian refineries. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP via Getty Images)
Diesel prices are displayed above $8 per gallon at a gas station in Los Angeles, on September 17, 2026, as prices reach record highs across the United States. Average diesel prices in the United States struck a record high of just under $6.27 a gallon on September 15, the motorists’ association AAA said, pressuring President Donald Trump ahead of midterm congressional elections. The price of the fuel used largely in road hauling, agriculture and construction hit $6.2694, according to the association, as the Middle East war tightens supplies and Ukraine strikes Russian refineries. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP via Getty Images)

( NewsNation ) — Diesel hit a fresh record of $6.51 per gallon Monday, but prices in the most expensive state are nearly $2 higher.

In California, diesel costs an average of $8.42 per gallon, up from $5.16 a year ago, according to AAA data . Diesel was also over $7 in Washington and Hawaii to start the week.

The national average has risen nearly $1 over the past month amid the ongoing war in Iran and Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries . A year ago, diesel cost $3.70 per gallon, about $2.80 less than it is now.

Most Americans don’t drive diesel cars, but the fuel is the lifeblood of the freight sector, which means it’s gotten more expensive to transport nearly everything Americans buy at the store.

As of Monday, diesel is over $6 per gallon in 49 states, with Texas the lone exception at $5.97.

“Any broader directional change will depend heavily on overseas developments, and with new Houthi attacks and fresh U.S.-Iran escalations, the outlook remains deeply uncertain,” Patrick De Haan, GasBuddy’s head of petroleum analysis, wrote in a post Monday .

Which states have the highest diesel prices?

The five most expensive states are all out West, a region that’s relatively isolated from the nation’s main refining hubs and where fuel taxes tend to be higher.

That’s especially true in California, where taxes and fees add roughly $1.17 to every gallon of diesel, more than in any other state, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration .

Several Midwestern states, including Indiana, Michigan and Ohio, also have diesel prices above the national average after recording steep increases over the past week. Diesel is around $6.80 a gallon in all three, up more than 60 cents from a week earlier.

The 10 states with the highest diesel prices ( AAA data as of Monday, Sept. 21)

Which states have the lowest diesel prices?

Texas has the lowest diesel prices in the country at $5.97 per gallon, up from $3.19 a year ago.

Diesel is also below the national average, about $6 per gallon, in nearby Oklahoma, Louisiana and Mississippi.

Fuel prices tend to be lower near the Gulf Coast because that’s where much of the nation’s refining capacity is located. Those states generally have lower fuel taxes as well.

The 10 states with the lowest diesel prices ( AAA data as of Monday, Sept. 21)

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