The national average price for regular gas continued to fall on Friday, dropping to $4.391 per gallon, a 16-cent decrease over the past week, according to AAA.Gas prices have trended downward since setting a high for the year on May 21 at $4.564 per gallon. Moreover, fuel costs have dropped every day this week, starting at $4.507 per gallon on Monday, Memorial Day, dropping to Friday’s current price point, an 11-cent drop in less than 100 hours. The decrease in fuel costs comes at a time when gas prices start to rise, after Memorial Day and the beginning of what is recognized as the summer driving season. After the surge in gas prices in early spring, a dip in prices at the pumps is a welcome sight. Relief at the pumps has also spread nationwide, with nine states currently reporting average gas prices below $4 per gallon, according to AAA. A little over a week ago, on May 20, every state in the nation had an average price of $4 per gallon or higher.
The instability in gas prices is nothing new in 2026. Since the year began, gas prices have ranged between a national average of $2.79 per gallon in January, the lowest national average for gas prices in the country since 2021, and last week’s high of $4.564 per gallon. Winter storms in January and February caused gas prices to rise. However, it was not until the war with Iran began that fuel costs across the country really spiked, increasing from $2.98 per gallon on Feb. 28, when Operation Epic Fury began.
