The national average price for regular gas continued to decrease on Tuesday, dropping to $4.29 per gallon, according to AAA. It marked a 20-cent-per-gallon drop from a week ago, when gas cost $4.491.
Gas prices have been steadily decreasing over the last 11 days, after setting a new 2026 record high on May 21 at $4.564 per gallon. The decline in prices began on Memorial Day weekend, traditionally the start of the summer driving season and, with it, typically an increase in pump prices.
Fuel costs are also less expensive today than a month ago, when a gallon of regular gas was $4.433. Yet, despite recent decreases at the pumps, gas prices remain significantly more expensive compared to earlier this year. On January 12, 2026, the national average price for a gallon of regular gas dropped to $2.79, the lowest price in over five years. Prices began to increase in January and early February, primarily due to winter weather that hampered much of the country at the time. Prices began to soar as Operation Epic Fury commenced on Feb. 28.
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 17 states now reporting gas price averages below $4 per gallon, according to AAA. On May 20, every state in the nation had an average price of $4 per gallon or higher.
