The national average price for regular gas will end the week at $3.141 per gallon, according to AAA. This marks the third straight day of gas price increases and a higher cost than a week ago when a gallon of regular gas was $3.11.
The recent rise in gas prices started when the Trump administration announced it would place tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico. The tariffs were ultimately postponed for at least 30 days, but gas prices have increased since then. Before that, fuel costs decreased after President Donald Trump started his term on Jan. 20.
The price of gas was a hot topic during the presidential term of Trump’s predecessor, former President Joe Biden. Gas prices significantly increased under his watch, starting less than six months into his term. After the average price for regular gas was $2.476 per gallon during Trump’s first term between Jan. 2017 and Jan. 2021, fuel costs soared under Biden. The cost of gas rose to more than $3 per gallon by June 2021 and remained over that price for the rest of his presidency.
Gas prices hit $4.929 in June 2022, the highest national average cost for a gallon of regular gas in the nation’s history. Costs began to fall gradually the next month, though they would continue fluctuating between 2022 and 2024. By April 2024, gas prices reached a high for the year before starting to decrease in May, eventually dropping to $3.01 per gallon by mid-December. Prices began to increase again after Christmas.
Trump campaigned on the ability to lower gas prices if elected. Less than one month into his second term, the results have so far been mixed. A week after Trump’s inauguration, gas prices fell to average totals less than Biden’s last day in office. Costs continued to drop until this week.
The fluctuation in prices is prevalent throughout the country, with gas prices varying depending on the state. On Friday, gas prices throughout the country ranged from $2.682 to $4.549 per gallon. Some states have experienced drops at the pumps, while in others, the cost of gas has increased.
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Currently, Hawaii has the highest gas prices in the country, at $4.549 per gallon. However, California is a close second, with a state average for a gallon of regular gas of $4.546. Mississippi, meanwhile, has the cheapest gas prices in the country, at $2.682 per gallon.
Locally, the average price for a gallon of regular gas in Washington, D.C., on Friday is $3.264. It is the highest price in the Delmarva region. Maryland has the most expensive average gas price, at $3.202 per gallon, and Virginia is the cheapest, at $3.06. Delaware, which once had the least expensive gas prices on the East Coast, is at $3.082 on Friday.