The national average price for a gallon of regular gas rose slightly to $3.02 on Wednesday, bucking the trend of downward fuel costs. It was less than a one-cent increase from Monday’s price of $3.011.
Despite the rise, the average price for a gallon of regular gas is still less expensive than a week ago, when it was $3.033, according to AAA.
Gas prices have gradually dropped since the summer and are significantly cheaper than earlier this year. Current pricing for a gallon of regular gas continues to be the least expensive since May 2021, when the average cost was $2.985 per gallon, according to the Energy Information Administration. In June 2021, gas prices skyrocketed, becoming a financial burden for everyone in America. The average of regular gas climbed to over $3 per gallon and, briefly, to over $4 per gallon.
For most of President Joe Biden’s term, gas prices reached record highs. After hitting the highest national average price in the country’s history in 2022, the cost of gas began to fall later in the year. Prices rose again in 2023 before hitting a peak in April 2024. Gas prices gradually began to decline in May 2024. Meanwhile, gas prices continue to fluctuate nationwide. Hawaii has the most expensive gas prices at $4.559 per gallon. Meanwhile, Oklahoma has the least expensive gas at $2.517 per gallon.
Nevertheless, even with this year’s substantial decrease in gas prices, the cost remains higher now than when President-elect Donald Trump was in office between January 2017 and January 2021. With Trump set to take office on Jan. 20, 2025, it remains to be seen what effect his presidency will have on gas prices.
Click here to see the current prices of gas in different states. Read below to see the average cost for a gallon of regular gas in and around Washington, D.C.
Delaware
The average price for a gallon of regular gas is less expensive than the national average. Unlike the national average, gas prices in Delaware decreased on Wednesday, falling to $2.853, a small drop from Tuesday’s cost of $2.857. After topping the $3-per-gallon price point in October and early November, prices in the state have fallen over the last month. A week ago, a gallon of regular gas in the First State was $2.911 and a month ago regular gas was $2.956 per gallon.
Maryland
Gas prices in Maryland are also less expensive than the national average, with a price of $2.969 for a gallon of regular gas. This was the same price as yesterday. The price of gas experienced a sharp rise early in November but have fallen since then. Gas prices in Maryland have continued this downward trend over the last month. A week ago in Maryland regular gas was $3.012 per gallon and a month ago, a gallon of regular gas was $3.043.
Virginia
Unlike Delaware and Maryland, gas prices in Virginia increased on Wednesday, albeit ever-so-slightly. On Wednesday in the state, a gallon of regular gas is $2.892, a small increase from Tuesday’s price of $2.889. Despite this minimal increase, gas prices in Virginia have trended downward for the last month. A week ago, a gallon of regular gas cost $2.919 per gallon; a month ago, the cost of gas in Virginia was $2.984 per gallon.
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Washington, D.C.
Gas prices in Washington, D.C., continue to be the most expensive in the Delmarva region on Wednesday with a price of $3.224 for a gallon of regular gas. This was a decrease from Tuesday’s price of $3.233. Wednesday’s pricing for gas in Washington, D.C. was essentially the same as a week ago, when the price of gas was $3.227 per gallon. A month ago, regular gas cost residents in the nation’s capital $3.262 per gallon. Overall, regular gas prices in Washington have fluctuated between $3.20 per gallon and $3.31 per gallon over the last month.