The national average for regular gasoline rose to $4.43 a gallon, up two cents in a day and nearly $1.50 since the Iran war began.
California tops the country at just over $6 a gallon, while Georgia is lowest at $3.80; oil spiked to $126 a barrel on Thursday before easing to about $108.
With the Strait of Hormuz still largely stalled, Moody's says households could pay $1,300 more a year for fuel, and GasBuddy warns prices could exceed the $5 record by Memorial Day.
With a key oil route blocked, can US policies prevent gas prices from shattering the all-time record?
The war is blamed for soaring gas prices, but are other hidden factors making the problem even worse?
Is the Iran conflict exposing a fatal flaw in the global economy's reliance on a few key waterways?
U.S. Gasoline Prices Surge to Record $4.23 Amid 2026 Middle East Conflict and Strait of Hormuz Blockade
Overview
In early 2026, a military conflict involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran triggered a dual blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, severely disrupting global oil flow. This caused Brent crude prices to surge and, combined with declining U.S. gasoline inventories and regional refinery outages, led to a record national average gasoline price of $4.23 per gallon by April. The spike hit some regions harder, with prices nearing $5 per gallon. Higher fuel costs increased transportation expenses, pushing up prices across the economy and straining household budgets and small businesses. Despite strategic oil reserve releases, prices remained high, fueling debates on energy security and accelerating interest in renewable energy and fuel-efficient alternatives.