Gas prices across the U.S. rose sharply after the Iran War closed the Strait of Hormuz. The percentage increase varies widely by state because of differing pre-war baselines and local price drivers.
States that already had high pre-war prices—California, Hawaii, and Washington—saw smaller percentage increases but remain the most expensive per gallon.
A sustained $1.25-per-gallon increase would add roughly $560 per vehicle annually, using 450 gallons per vehicle per year.
# What this map shows
This visualization uses AAA gasoline prices on February 18, 2026 (pre-war baseline) and prices on August 20, 2026. It maps the percentage change for all 50 states plus Washington, D.C., to show how the Iran War's disruption to global oil flows translated to pump prices across the U.S.
# The national picture
On average, U.S. gas prices rose about 44% since the pre-war baseline, equal to an increase of roughly $1.25 per gallon. That increase translates to about $15 more for a 12-gallon fill-up. If sustained, and using the Federal Highway Administration figure of roughly 450 gallons consumed per vehicle per year, the additional expense would be about $560 per vehicle annually.
# Who saw the biggest jumps
# Why the most-affected states aren't paying the most today
States with the smallest percentage increases tended to be those that already had high prices before the war. High state fuel taxes, climate-related fuel policies, and logistical constraints keep their baseline prices elevated, so a similar absolute dollar increase shows up as a smaller percentage change.
# State-level details (selected)
A full table of every state's pre-war price, current price, absolute change, and percent change was produced using the AAA data mentioned above.
# Practical implications
Consumers in states with large percentage jumps face sharper near-term increases in commuting and transport costs. States with high baseline prices will continue to pay more per gallon even if their percentage increases look modest. Broadly, higher crude prices can ripple into other goods and services because oil is an input across many manufactured products.
# Bottom line
The Iran War's disruption removed a substantial share of global oil supply and pushed U.S. retail gasoline prices significantly higher, but the impact differs by state. Low pre-war prices amplified percentage increases in parts of the Midwest and Mountain West, while high-tax and logistically constrained states remained the most expensive per gallon despite smaller percentage gains.
The cost of the war with Iran on taxpayers continues to grow, not only to finance the Pentagon's plans, but at the pump. Taurean Small has more.
Gas prices are nearly 40% higher than when the Iran War began, and AAA says August is on track to set a new record.
Gas prices are nearly 40% higher than when the Iran War began, and AAA says August is on track to set a new record.
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