What Is the Average Gas Tax Per Gallon in 2026?
The average gas tax per gallon in 2026 is about 52 cents. That figure comes from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, which reports that state taxes and fees averaged 33.5 cents a gallon as of January 1, 2026, and the federal tax adds 18.4 cents on every gallon everywhere. Two drivers filling up the same car pay very different tax bills depending on where they stop, but the national midpoint is just under fifty-two cents.
The average gas tax per gallon in 2026, broken down
| Component | Cents per gallon |
|---|---|
| Average state taxes and fees (EIA, Jan 1 2026) | 33.5 |
| Federal gasoline tax (unchanged since 1993) | 18.4 |
| Combined average | 51.9 |
Taxes are a smaller slice of the pump price than most people assume. In EIA's January 2026 breakdown, crude oil accounted for about 51% of the retail price, refining roughly 20%, distribution and marketing about 11%, and taxes about 18%. When crude spikes, taxes shrink as a share; when crude drops, they grow. The tax line is the stable one. Everything else moves.
What the average hides
The range behind that average is enormous: 70.9 cents a gallon in California down to 9 cents in Alaska, per the same EIA report. A driver in California pays nearly eight times the state tax of a driver in Alaska. The highest-tax states tend to be the ones with indexing formulas that raise the rate automatically: California, Maryland, Washington, and others adjust by inflation or fuel prices, which is why they keep climbing without a vote. Our indexing guide explains how that works, and our highest-tax ranking and lowest-tax ranking have the full state tables.
The average is also creeping up. Between January 2025 and January 2026, 26 states changed their gasoline taxes, 19 raised and 7 lowered them. Washington's increase of 6.2 cents and Michigan's increase of 5.2 cents were the notable moves. Our 2026 rate-changes guide has the full list.
What you actually pay per year
Turn the per-gallon number into a personal one. A car driven 12,000 miles a year at 25 miles per gallon burns 480 gallons. At the 51.9-cent combined average, that is about $249 a year in gas taxes. In California, at 89.3 cents combined, the same car pays about $429. In Alaska, at 27.4 cents combined, it is about $131. The state you register the car in is worth nearly $300 a year to an average driver. Our per-year calculator guide walks through the formula with your own mileage.
One more wrinkle worth knowing: the federal piece has been frozen the longest. The 18.4-cent federal tax was last raised on October 1, 1993, and has lost roughly two-thirds of its buying power since. Our federal gas tax history guide covers what that erosion means for highway funding, and our where-the-money-goes guide shows where the 18.4 cents lands.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average gas tax per gallon in the US?
As of January 1, 2026, state taxes and fees averaged 33.5 cents per gallon for gasoline, per the EIA. Add the 18.4-cent federal tax and the national average total is about 52 cents a gallon.
How much federal gas tax is in a gallon of gas?
18.4 cents per gallon for gasoline and 24.4 cents for diesel. The federal rate has not changed since October 1993, losing roughly two-thirds of its purchasing power to inflation.
Why do states charge such different gas taxes?
Each state sets its own excise tax, fees, and sometimes sales tax on gasoline. Some index the rate to inflation or fuel prices, so it climbs automatically. The result ranges from 9 cents in Alaska to 70.9 cents in California.
Is the average gas tax going up or down?
Up, slightly. Twenty-six states changed their gasoline taxes between January 2025 and January 2026, with 19 raising them and 7 lowering them. The national average edged up a fraction of a cent.
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State rate changes, federal proposals, and the data behind the pump price.
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