Gas Prices Fall 5¢ to $4.28 a Gallon — Week of Oct 19, 2026

The national average price of regular gasoline was $4.28 a gallon for the week of October 19, 2026, down 5 cents from $4.33 the week before, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s weekly retail survey.

Over the past four weeks the average has moved down 19 cents, from $4.48 to $4.28. That is welcome relief for commuters and anyone planning a road trip.

At this week’s average, filling a typical 15-gallon tank costs about $64.26, roughly $0.71 less than a week ago.

National average, recent weeks

• Week of Oct 19: $4.28 (−5¢)
• Week of Oct 12: $4.33 (−2¢)
• Week of Oct 5: $4.35 (−11¢)
• Week of Sep 28: $4.47 (−1¢)
• Week of Sep 21: $4.48 (+16¢)
• Week of Sep 14: $4.32 (+16¢)

A driver who uses about 50 gallons a month spends roughly $214 a month on fuel at this week’s price.

Mid-grade averaged $4.92, premium averaged $5.31 and diesel averaged $6.28. Diesel prices matter most to truckers and farmers and feed into the cost of shipped goods.

Crude oil is the biggest single input into pump prices. West Texas Intermediate most recently closed at $107.89 a barrel; changes in crude typically show up at the pump within two to three weeks, so the oil market is the best early signal of where gas prices go next.

Prices vary widely by region. Among the areas the EIA tracks, the cheapest gas this week is in the Gulf Coast at $3.78, and the most expensive is in West Coast at $5.56.

Why do prices differ so much from place to place? State and local fuel taxes vary widely, some states require special cleaner-burning blends, and areas far from refineries and pipelines pay more to get fuel delivered. That is why the West Coast routinely pays the most and the Gulf Coast, home to much of the country’s refining capacity, usually pays the least.

For drivers, the usual advice holds: compare stations with a price app before filling up, use warehouse-club or grocery fuel rewards if you have them, and keep tires properly inflated, which modestly improves fuel economy.

Compare the five EIA regions on our regional gas prices page, or track the full history on the national average page. The EIA surveys retail stations every Monday; individual stations can be higher or lower than these averages.

This report was generated by the NPJ Data Desk from official public data and contains no invented facts or quotes. How we use automation · Report an error