- August gas prices are on track to set an all-time high.
- National average price has been above $4 every day.
- Average is currently $4.09, which is up 27% from 2025.
While the Trump Administration is busy renaming Lake Ontario, the Iran conflict drags on with no end in sight. This means tankers are trickling through the Strait of Hormuz, putting pressure on the global economy as well as drivers.
The national average price of a gallon of gasoline is $4.09, which is virtually unchanged from a month ago. More telling, prices are 88 cents higher than this time last year.
More: As Gas Prices Soar, Americans Are Changing Their Driving Habits
However, that’s dirt cheap compared to diesel, which costs an average of $5.61 per gallon. The price has shot up 29 cents in a month and is up $1.90 in a year. That’s a 51.2% increase and we’re all paying for it as diesel-powered vehicles ship goods across the country and the globe.
While high prices have become a fact of life, they’re entering record-breaking territory. As AAA recently noted, “For the first time ever, the national average in August has been above $4 per gallon every day.” They went on to say “this month is poised to set a new record as the most expensive August at the pump, surpassing the previous August record set in 2022.”
California continues to have the highest gas prices in the nation as the average is $5.65 per gallon. However, in Mono county, drivers are shelling out an insane $6.81.
Prices for diesel are even higher as Californians are paying $7.22 per gallon and that’s up from $5.13 a year ago. This is a steep increase of $2.09, which equates to a 40.7% jump.
Unfortunately, things could get worse as the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is reaching levels that concern experts. The reserve recently dropped below 300 million barrels and it’s set to fall to 243 million barrels in the future.
