The US average retail price for on-highway diesel reached $5.65 a gallon in the Energy Information Administration weekly reading dated Aug. 24, up 19.8 cents from the prior week. The same week a year earlier the national average stood at $3.708 a gallon, putting the current figure about $1.94 higher, a gain of roughly 52%.
The August climb has been steep and uneven. The national average opened the month at $5.348 on Aug. 3, slipped to $5.257 on Aug. 10, then jumped to $5.454 on Aug. 17 before the latest 19.8-cent move. Measured against the level of about 30 days earlier, diesel is up 34 cents. The low for the current series, which begins in late December 2025, is $3.46 a gallon.
Regional spreads have widened along with the national number. The East Coast, covering PADD 1, averaged $5.50 a gallon, up 16 cents. The Midwest, PADD 2, came in at $5.64, up 20 cents. The Gulf Coast, PADD 3, posted $5.48 with the largest weekly gain in the group at 24 cents. The Rocky Mountain district, PADD 4, was the mildest mover at $5.54, up 11 cents. The West Coast, PADD 5, remained the outlier at $6.41 a gallon, up 20 cents and 93 cents above the Gulf Coast.
EIA publishes the national and regional retail diesel averages once a week on Monday afternoon, moving to Tuesday when a Monday holiday falls in the week. The spread across districts reflects state taxes, distance from refining and pipeline supply, and regional fuel specifications.
Source: Fuel Data Portal - https://fueldataportal.com/data/diesel-prices-by-region