Gas prices in California
EIA surveyed California at $5.52 per gallon for regular gasoline in the week of August 31, 2026, 145 cents above the US average of $4.07.
On-highway diesel for California is $7.22, 162 cents above the US diesel average of $5.60. EIA runs the diesel survey for California and the regions only, so every other state carries its district figure here. CARB summer blend, the nation's highest excise, cap-and-trade and LCFS all stack on the gallon.
[EIA state series] Series EMM_EPMR_PTE_SCA_DPG · State excise: 63.4 cents/gal · PADD 5
California's pump-price cost stack
Every gallon breaks down into five named slices. Applying the shares to the $5.52 figure above, and to California's own excise rate, the stack looks like this:
Crude / refining / distribution shares estimated from EIA Petroleum Marketing Monthly. Federal excise from FHWA Highway Statistics. State excise from the API Motor Fuel Tax Map and Tax Foundation 2026. [EIA · 31 Aug 2026] [API · 31 Aug 2026]
Border-state comparison
How the neighbours read in the same survey week. Neighbours inside the same EIA district carry the same published figure, which is why several rows can match exactly.
Use the border comparator to compute the per-tank difference where the two states fall in different EIA districts.
Metro-level EIA series for California
EIA runs a separate weekly retail survey in 2 metro areas inside California:
- Los Angeles $5.532/gal EMM_EPMR_PTE_Y05LA_DPG
- San Francisco $5.552/gal EMM_EPMR_PTE_Y05SF_DPG
FAQ
What is the current average price of regular gas in California?
EIA surveyed California at $5.52 per gallon for regular gasoline in the week of August 31, 2026, 145 cents above the US average of $4.07. [EIA state series]
Does EIA publish a price for California?
Yes. California is one of the nine states with its own weekly retail gasoline series, EMM_EPMR_PTE_SCA_DPG.
What is California's state gas tax?
63.4 cents per gallon state excise, plus the 18.4 cents federal excise. [API · 31 Aug 2026]