Projected Gas Prices In 2026: A Look At National Trends

UNDATED (WJON News) -- Gas prices in the United States are expected to fall in 2026 for the fourth straight yearly decline.

Gas Buddy has released its 2026 Fuel Price Outlook.

They are forecasting the yearly national average price of gasoline to fall back below $3 per gallon for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. The yearly U.S. average is projected to be $2.97 per gallon, down 13 cents from the 2025 average of $3.10.

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Gas Buddy says prices may briefly reach the $3.20s during the switch to summer gasoline this spring. Prices are likely to fall after June, with the December forecast to average $2.83.

As for diesel, the forecast is an average of $3.55 nationally in 2026, down from $3.62 in 2025.

Motorists are projected to spend $11 billion less on gasoline in 2026 compared to 2025. The average household is projected to spend about $2,083 on gas in 2026, down slightly from 2025.

LOOK: See how much gasoline cost the year you started driving

To find out more about how has the price of gas changed throughout the years, Stacker ran the numbers on the cost of a gallon of gasoline for each of the last 84 years. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (released in April 2020), we analyzed the average price for a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline from 1976 to 2020 along with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for unleaded regular gasoline from 1937 to 1976, including the absolute and inflation-adjusted prices for each year.

Read on to explore the cost of gas over time and rediscover just how much a gallon was when you first started driving.

Gallery Credit: Sophia Crisafulli

Source: Drivers Will Enjoy Lower Gas Prices Through 2026