- San Francisco ($6.15/gal) and Los Angeles ($6.08/gal) have the highest gas prices of any city the EIA individually tracks, both over 40% above the national average the same week.
- Seattle set a new all-time high of $5.77/gallon in May 2026, surpassing its previous record of $5.55 (set in June 2022, the week nearly every other tracked city hit its own record) by 4.0%.
- Houston has the lowest prices of any tracked city, $3.76/gallon, 63.6% below San Francisco the same week.
- Every other tracked city's all-time high was set the same week in June 2022, Seattle is the only one to set a new record since.
01 Introduction
The EIA's national and state-level gasoline price series (used elsewhere on this site) are useful, but they can hide how much prices vary within a state or region. The EIA separately tracks weekly retail gasoline prices for 10 individual U.S. cities: Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, San Francisco, and Seattle, going back to 2000-2003 depending on the city. This gives a more granular picture of where drivers actually pay the most and least.
EIA, Weekly Retail Gasoline and Diesel Prices, "U.S. All Grades, Areas and Formulations" workbook, Data 3 (Regular All Formulations), city columns.02 Latest Prices by City
As of the week of October 12, 2026 (the latest available), San Francisco ($6.154) and Los Angeles ($6.082) are the two most expensive tracked cities, both over 40% above that week's national average of $4.331. Houston ($3.762) is the least expensive, 63.6% below San Francisco.
EIA, Weekly Retail Gasoline and Diesel Prices, week of October 12, 2026.| City | Price (10/12/26) | vs. National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $6.154 | +42.1% |
| Los Angeles | $6.082 | +40.4% |
| Seattle | $5.606 | +29.4% |
| Chicago | $4.695 | +8.4% |
| New York City | $4.314 | -0.4% |
| Boston | $4.305 | -0.6% |
| Denver | $4.153 | -4.1% |
| Miami | $4.071 | -6.0% |
| Cleveland | $3.851 | -11.1% |
| Houston | $3.762 | -13.1% |
03 2026 Year-to-Date Averages
Looking at the full 2026 year-to-date (41 weekly readings through October 12) rather than a single week gives a steadier picture. San Francisco ($5.413) and Los Angeles ($5.312) remain the most expensive on average, while Houston ($3.340) remains the least expensive. The national 2026 year-to-date average across all areas is $3.848.
EIA, Weekly Retail Gasoline and Diesel Prices, mean of 41 weekly readings, January 5-October 12, 2026.| City | 2026 YTD Average |
|---|---|
| San Francisco | $5.413 |
| Los Angeles | $5.312 |
| Seattle | $5.149 |
| Chicago | $4.035 |
| New York City | $3.799 |
| Boston | $3.806 |
| Cleveland | $3.789 |
| Miami | $3.712 |
| Denver | $3.667 |
| Houston | $3.340 |
See how your own vehicle's fuel cost compares using official EIA and EPA data.
Use the Calculator04 Seattle's New Record
Nearly every tracked city hit its all-time high the same week in June 2022, during the nationwide price spike that also produced the U.S. average's own record ($5.006, June 13, 2022, covered in our gas prices over time article). Seattle is the one exception: it set a new all-time high of $5.771 on May 25, 2026, surpassing its June 2022 peak of $5.549 by 4.0%. No other tracked city has since exceeded its 2022 record.
EIA, Weekly Retail Gasoline and Diesel Prices, Seattle, WA: $5.771 (2026-05-25) vs. $5.549 (2022-06-13), +4.0%. All other 9 tracked cities' all-time highs remain dated June 2022.05 All-Time Lows and Highs
The table below shows each city's lowest and highest recorded price since the EIA began tracking it (2000 for the first six cities, 2003 for the remaining four).
EIA, Weekly Retail Gasoline and Diesel Prices, full history through October 12, 2026.| City | Tracked Since | All-Time Low | All-Time High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | 2003 | $1.488 (6/2003) | $5.061 (6/2022) |
| Chicago | 2000 | $1.094 (2/2002) | $5.803 (6/2022) |
| Cleveland | 2003 | $1.358 (6/2003) | $5.047 (6/2022) |
| Denver | 2000 | $1.016 (12/2001) | $4.840 (6/2022) |
| Houston | 2000 | $0.970 (12/2001) | $4.621 (6/2022) |
| Los Angeles | 2000 | $0.966 (12/2001) | $6.225 (6/2022) |
| Miami | 2003 | $1.502 (7/2003) | $4.870 (6/2022) |
| New York City | 2000 | $1.131 (12/2001) | $4.983 (6/2022) |
| San Francisco | 2000 | $1.237 (2/2002) | $6.384 (6/2022) |
| Seattle | 2003 | $1.469 (12/2003) | $5.771 (5/2026) |
Los Angeles and San Francisco have both the highest all-time highs and some of the lowest all-time lows (both under $1.25), the widest overall range of any tracked city, reflecting California's combination of high state gas taxes, its own cleaner-burning fuel blend requirement, and limited refinery capacity relative to demand, all covered in more depth in our regional gas price and gas prices by state articles.
06 Data Sources
- EIA: Weekly Retail Gasoline and Diesel Prices, "U.S. All Grades, Areas and Formulations" workbook. eia.gov