GasBuddy Releases 2026 Fuel Price Outlook 

Some good news for your pocket book to start the year. GasBuddy is estimating that in 2026 the yearly national average price of gasoline will fall back below $3 per gallon for the first time since COVID-19 pandemic.  According to its 2026 Fuel Price Outlook, the yearly U.S. average is projected to be $2.97 per gallon, down 13 cents from 2025’s average of $3.102 and marking the lowest yearly average since 2020. 

Still, GasBuddy says we can expect the familiar bouts of volatility tied to seasonal demand, refinery maintenance, hurricane season and ongoing geopolitical risks. Diesel prices are forecast to remain elevated relative to gasoline but continue easing from recent peaks, averaging $3.55 per gallon for the year.

Key highlights from GasBuddy’s 2026 Fuel Outlook:

• 2026 national average: Projected to be $2.97 per gallon, down from $3.10 in 2025 — the fourth straight yearly decline.
• Spring peak: Prices may briefly reach the low $3.20s during the switch to summer gasoline.
• Second-half relief: Prices are likely to fall after June, with December forecast to average $2.83.
• Diesel: Forecast to average $3.55 nationally in 2026, down from $3.62 in 2025.
• Lowest-priced regions: The Gulf Coast and South are expected to stay well under $3.
• Highest-priced regions: California, the Northeast and Chicago remain top-cost areas, but below 2022 highs.
• U.S. gasoline spending: Motorists are projected to spend $11 billion less on gasoline in 2026 compared to 2025.
• Average household spending: Projected at $2,083, down slightly from 2025.

“The world has spent years recovering from the economic whiplash of the pandemic and the shock of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but the situation has been improving quietly since 2022,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “As global central banks slammed the brakes on an overheated economy and new refining capacity came online, we’ve seen fuel prices ease year after year — a trend few would’ve bet on when chaos ruled the energy market. And 2026 keeps that momentum going. It’s not a return to ultra-cheap fuel, but for the first time in a long time, the wind is clearly behind drivers’ backs. If the market avoids major surprises, sustained averages below $3 per gallon could become commonplace in the year ahead.”

Download the full 2026 Fuel Price Outlook here.

Photo Credit: welcomia/Shutterstock.com.