LOS ANGELES, July 13 -
Gas prices California vs Texas today
Today California regular averages $4.59 per gallon; Texas averages $2.66 per gallon. The $1.93-per-gallon gap is the largest cross-state pair in the country. [EIA · 13 Jul 2026]
Why California costs $1.93 more
- CARB summer blend: ~20-30 cents/gal premium over conventional gasoline.
- State excise 63.4 c/gal vs Texas 20 c/gal: ~43 cents/gal difference.
- Cap-and-trade plus LCFS: ~25-40 cents/gal.
- Sales tax (CA applies general sales tax to fuel): ~25-35 cents/gal at this price.
- Refining margin: PADD 5 cracks structurally wider than PADD 3.
- No pipeline from Gulf to California: every gallon comes from in-state refineries or tanker imports.
Per-tank difference
For a 26-gallon pickup, the per-fill difference is $50.18. For a 15-gallon sedan, $28.95. Annual cost (15,000 miles, 25 mpg): $1,158 more in California.
The 5-year trend
The CA-TX gap has widened from about $1.05 in 2021 to $1.93 today as Washington-style climate fees and CARB-blend costs continue to compound.
Related
California · Texas · state excise · env fees · tank-fill calc