California is no longer the state with the highest gas prices in the nation, having been dethroned by another West Coast state: Washington.
A gallon of regular gas costs an average of $4.658 on Monday, September 15, up from $4.459 a week earlier, $4.407 a month earlier, and $4.150 a year earlier, according to the latest data from the American Automobile Association (AAA). In the counties of San Juan and Pacific, a gallon costs over $5.
“You are literally the only state that is above where it was one year ago,” Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said in a recent statement to The Center Square.
By comparison, a gallon of regular gas costs an average of $4.653 in the Golden State, up from $4.624 from a week earlier and $4.492 from a month earlier, but down from $4.770 a year earlier. Despite being dethroned—with Washington’s prices surpassing California’s on Sunday, September 14—, California still had the second-highest gas prices in the country.
It was followed by Hawaii, where a gallon of regular gas was $4.478 on Monday, and Oregon, where it cost $4.293. In all other states, gas prices were below $4, while at the national level, a gallon of regular gas cost $3.177.
Why Are Gas Prices So High In Washington?
There are several reasons why drivers in Washington are feeling so much pain at the pump, including planned and unplanned refinery maintenance, pipeline issues, and tax changes.
As of July 1, the Evergreen State’s per-gallon tax on gas and other vehicle fuels went up from 49.4 cents to 55.4 cents. Starting July 1, 2026, the tax will rise 2 percent every year to adjust to inflation—about a penny every year. The tax on diesel—which increased by 3 cents on July 1—will increase by 3 cents more in 2027 and as of 2028 it will increase 2 percent a gallon each year.
Earlier this summer, the state’s CO2 emissions tax set by the Climate Commitment Act also went up by 6 cents.
But according to De Haan, some events that have been “kind of out” of the state have played a bigger role in pushing gas prices up in Washington, including gasoline refinery problems in California. After a fire broke out at the Martinez Refining Company in the San Francisco Bay Area in February, gas prices in Washington shot up by 21 cents a gallon.
Two California refineries are set to shut down in the coming months, with Phillips 66 scheduled to close its Los Angeles refinery by October and Valero closing its Benicia refinery by April 2026.
These closures could have a major impact on the rest of the West Coast, including Washington, as these states rely on California’s refining capacity for continuous supply to meet domestic demand. All seven states on the West Coast are currently in the top 10 for the most expensive gas prices in the U.S., according to AAA data.
An analysis by AAA also points to refinery issues as the main culprit behind Washington’s high gas prices.
“Gas prices in the West Coast states are soaring due to refinery issues in Puget Sound and California, and reports of an outage at the Olympic Pipeline. Planned and unplanned maintenance at refineries has caused wholesale prices to shoot up and those increases are being passed on to consumers at the pumps,” the company wrote in its latest report. “In addition, there are reports that the Olympic Pipeline, which carries fuel from Washington refineries to Portland, is down.”
Will Prices Fall In Washington, Or Will They Continue Rising?
Washington drivers can expect some relief very soon, as Monday, September 15, marked the day when retailers switch to selling winter-blend fuel, which is less expensive to produce than the summer-blend fuel. As fall approaches, gas demand is also likely to go down, putting downward pressure on prices.
But the state is not completely out of the woods yet, as a major storm before the end of this year’s hurricane season could still impact production and distribution of oil and gas across the country.
A similar challenge is posed to Washington and all other states in the union by escalating tensions in the Middle East, where Israel has carried out several strikes on Iran, which have been reciprocated by Tehran. Iran is one of the world’s main oil producers, and any disruption to its industry could lead to a rise in prices worldwide.
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