Cost of Driving in California - True Driving Cost

Key Findings

Driving in California costs an estimated $1,408 per year in fuel, ranking #5 among all states.
The average driver in California travels 8,244 miles per year, 3,083 miles below the national average.
Regular gasoline averages $4.441/gal, with a combined state and federal gas tax of 72.3 cents/gal.
An EV driver in California would pay roughly $799/year for electricity, saving about 43% compared to gasoline.

Contents

Quick Facts
Gas Prices
Gas Taxes
Miles Driven
Annual Fuel Cost
Commuting
EV Comparison
Neighboring States
Data Sources

01 Quick Facts

Metric	Value	National Avg
Annual fuel cost (26 MPG fleet avg)	$1,408	$1,280
Regular gas price	$4.441/gal	$2.937/gal
Combined gas tax (state + federal)	72.3¢/gal	—
Miles driven per capita	8,244	11,327
Electricity rate (residential)	32.0¢/kWh	16.5¢/kWh
Driving cost rank	#5 of 51	—

FHWA PS-1 (2024), EIA Weekly Retail Gasoline Prices (Feb 2026), FHWA MF-121T (2022), EIA Form 861 (2024)

02 Gas Prices

Regular gasoline in California averages $4.441 per gallon, which is $1.50 above the national average of $2.937. California ranks #1 among states for gas prices (1 = most expensive).

U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Retail Gasoline Prices, February 2026

03 Gas Taxes

California charges a state gasoline excise tax of 53.9 cents per gallon. Combined with the federal excise tax of 18.4 cents per gallon, drivers in California pay a total of 72.3 cents per gallon in fuel taxes. This ranks #2 among all states (1 = highest tax).

FHWA, Highway Statistics 2022, Table MF-121T: State Motor-Fuel Tax Rates

At 8,244 miles per year and 26 MPG, the average driver in California pays roughly $229 in combined gas taxes annually.

Tax Component	Rate
State gasoline tax	53.9¢/gal
Federal gasoline tax	18.4¢/gal
Combined total	72.3¢/gal
Annual tax burden (at 8,244 mi, 26 MPG)	$229

FHWA MF-121T (2022); 26 U.S.C. §4081 (federal excise tax rate)

04 Miles Driven

The average driver in California travels 8,244 miles per year, ranking #43 among all states (1 = most miles). This is 3,083 miles below the national average of 11,327.

FHWA, Table PS-1: Selected Measures for Identifying Peer States, 2024

California has a total of 326.0 billion vehicle-miles traveled annually across all road types, with a population of 39,538,223 (94% urban).

FHWA PS-1, 2024; U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census

05 Annual Fuel Cost

Based on California's average gas price and miles driven, here is the estimated annual fuel cost by vehicle type:

Vehicle Type	MPG	Annual Fuel Cost
Compact sedan	33	$1,109
Midsize SUV	26	$1,408
Pickup truck	20	$1,831

Calculated: VMT per capita ({s['vmt_per_capita']:,} mi) ÷ MPG × gas price (${s['gas_price']:.3f}/gal). MPG estimates from EPA Automotive Trends Report, 2023.

Estimate your vehicle's fuel cost using EPA data.

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06 Commuting

The average commute in California takes 29.2 minutes one way. About 67.1% of workers drive alone to work, while 3.1% use public transit and 14.6% work from home.

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 1-Year Estimates, Table S0801: Commuting Characteristics by Sex, 2023

Commute Metric	Value
Mean travel time to work	29.2 min
Drove alone to work	67.1%
Public transit	3.1%
Worked from home	14.6%

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 1-Year Estimates, Table S0801, 2023

07 EV Comparison

The average residential electricity rate in California is 32.0 cents per kWh, which ranks #2 among states (1 = most expensive). At an average EV efficiency of 3.3 miles per kWh, driving on electricity in California costs roughly $0.097 per mile compared to $0.171 per mile for gasoline.

EIA Form 861, Table 5A: Average Monthly Bill — Residential, 2024; EPA average EV efficiency ~3.3 mi/kWh

Metric	Gasoline	Electric
Cost per mile	$0.171	$0.097
Annual fuel/energy cost (8,244 mi)	$1,408	$799
Annual savings with EV	$609 (43%)

EIA Form 861 (2024); EIA Weekly Retail Gasoline Prices (Feb 2026); EPA Fuel Economy Guide

08 Neighboring States

Here is how California's driving costs compare to neighboring states:

State	Gas Price	VMT/Capita	Annual Cost
California	$4.441	8,244	$1,408
Oregon	$4.111	8,826	$1,396
Nevada	$4.111	9,158	$1,448
Arizona	$4.111	9,851	$1,558

09 Data Sources

Federal Highway Administration: Table PS-1, Selected Measures for Identifying Peer States, 2024. fhwa.dot.gov
Federal Highway Administration: Highway Statistics 2022, Table MF-121T: State Motor-Fuel Tax Rates. fhwa.dot.gov
U.S. Energy Information Administration: Weekly Retail Gasoline Prices by State/Region, February 2026. eia.gov
U.S. Energy Information Administration: Form EIA-861, Table 5A: Average Monthly Bill — Residential, 2024. eia.gov
U.S. Census Bureau: ACS 1-Year Estimates, Table S0801: Commuting Characteristics by Sex, 2023. data.census.gov
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Automotive Trends Report, 2023. epa.gov

Disclaimer. This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or professional advice. All data is sourced from U.S. government agencies as cited. Gasoline prices change frequently and vary by station, grade, and payment method. Gas tax rates reflect FHWA 2022 data and may have been adjusted since publication. Annual cost estimates use the formula: VMT ÷ MPG × Price per Gallon.