California Gas Prices Today

Regular gasoline in California averages $5.43 per gallon as of the EIA week of 2026-08-10 — $1.42 above the national average of $4.01. Diesel averages $6.62 per gallon. California has the nation's highest state fuel taxes and fees (over 68¢ per gallon), requires a special low-emission CARB gasoline blend that few refineries outside the state can produce, and its cap-and-trade and low-carbon-fuel programs add further cents per gallon. With limited pipeline links to other regions, local refinery outages can spike prices fast.

California vs Region vs US (EIA week of 2026-08-10)

AreaRegular ($/gal)vs California
California 5.43
West Coast (region) 5.08 -0.35
US average 4.01 -1.42

EIA weekly retail averages. Compare all published states, see gas prices by year, or read what actually sets pump prices.

All EIA-Published States This Week

StateRegular ($/gal)vs US avg
California 5.43 +1.42
Washington 5.06 +1.05
Colorado 4.05 +0.04
New York 4.04 +0.04
Massachusetts 3.96 -0.04
Ohio 3.90 -0.11
Minnesota 3.84 -0.17
Florida 3.79 -0.21
Texas 3.51 -0.49

EIA publishes weekly prices for these states; it does not survey all 50 individually.

California Gas Price FAQ

What is the average gas price in California right now?

Regular gasoline in California averages $5.43 per gallon (EIA, week of 2026-08-10) — $1.42 above the US average of $4.01. Diesel averages $6.62.

Why are California gas prices higher than the national average?

California has the nation's highest state fuel taxes and fees (over 68¢ per gallon), requires a special low-emission CARB gasoline blend that few refineries outside the state can produce, and its cap-and-trade and low-carbon-fuel programs add further cents per gallon. With limited pipeline links to other regions, local refinery outages can spike prices fast.

How often are these prices updated?

The EIA publishes state and regional retail prices every Monday; this page refreshes automatically when new data lands. EIA covers selected large states weekly — for daily crowd-sourced prices per county or station, AAA and GasBuddy complement this official weekly view.