Gasoline Price Regions Table
| Region | $/gal | vs US avg |
|---|---|---|
| East Coast | $4.191 | -13¢ |
| New England | $4.294 | -3¢ |
| Central Atlantic | $4.387 | +7¢ |
| Lower Atlantic | $4.041 | -28¢ |
| Midwest | $4.091 | -23¢ |
| Gulf Coast | $3.852 | -47¢ |
| Rocky Mountain | $4.438 | +12¢ |
| West Coast | $5.467 | +115¢ |
The EIA's weekly fuel update tracks retail gasoline across five PADD regions - the Petroleum Administration for Defense Districts, a 1940s mapping that still structures every US fuel market. For the week of October 6, 2026, the national average sat at $4.319 a gallon, with the Gulf Coast cheapest at $3.852 and the West Coast dearest at $5.467 - a $1.62 spread purely from where you stand.
The ladder has a logic: the Gulf Coast sits on top of half the country's refining capacity, so its gasoline is priced at the factory gate; the West Coast imports what its own refineries cannot make and stacks California's environmental blend requirements on top. State taxes widen the gap further - the table shows the pre-tax-and-everything pump reality, and the state gas tax table linked below adds the excise layer.
How to use
- Pick your region to see today's price and the spread against the $4.32 national average.
- Enter a tank size (a typical fill is 12 gallons) to see what that region's price means at the pump.
- Remember the region floor: your specific state adds excise taxes (18.4 cents federal plus state rates) on top of the regional wholesale picture.
Frequently asked questions
What are PADD regions?
Petroleum Administration for Defense Districts - five zones (East Coast, Midwest, Gulf Coast, Rocky Mountain, West Coast) drawn in 1941 to ration fuel during wartime logistics planning. Refineries, pipelines and price statistics still report through them because fuel mostly moves inside a PADD and rarely crosses between them cheaply. That is why a hurricane in one district barely moves prices in another - the physical market is regional.
Why is Gulf Coast gasoline the cheapest?
The Gulf Coast (PADD3) hosts roughly half of US refining capacity, so its gasoline is produced where it is consumed - no pipeline tariffs, no import logistics, and dense refinery competition. The week of October 6, 2026, Gulf pumps averaged $3.852 versus the $4.319 national average. Add Louisiana's rock-bottom state tax of 8.9 cents from the tax table, and Gulf Coast drivers see the cheapest pump numbers in the country.
Why does the West Coast pay the most?
The West Coast (PADD5) is effectively an island: limited pipeline connection to the rest of the country means local refineries plus seaborne imports set the price, and California's unique summer blend rules fragment the market further. At $5.467 this week it ran $1.62 above the national average - and California drivers stack the nation's highest state excise (73.6 cents) on top, which is why the state anchors both this table and the tax table.
Do regional prices explain my entire pump price?
No - the regional number is the retail average before your state's excise layer, and your state adds 18.4 cents federal plus its own rate on top of the wholesale picture. California's pump price is regional West Coast cost plus the tax table's state stack plus sales tax. Use this table for the regional floor and the cross-linked tax table for the excise layer, and the two together explain most of why one state pays $4 and its neighbor $5.