The U.S. average retail price for on-highway diesel rose 19.7 cents to $5.454 per gallon in the week ended August 17, 2026, according to the Energy Information Administration Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update released August 18. The national average sits $1.741 above the same week in 2025 and $1.766 above the level two years earlier.
Every EIA reporting region posted a weekly increase. The Midwest recorded the largest move at 25.4 cents, reaching $5.435 a gallon. The Gulf Coast rose 19.3 cents to $5.237, the Lower Atlantic gained 17.0 cents to $5.204, and the Rocky Mountain region added 15.6 cents to $5.427. The West Coast average reached $6.203 after a 17.0-cent gain, with California at $6.785 following a 16.7-cent increase. New England posted the smallest weekly change at 3.1 cents, ending at $5.545.
The move reversed a decline of 9.1 cents recorded the prior week, when the national average stood at $5.257. Two weeks earlier the average was $5.348.
Gasoline moved on a shallower path over the same period. The U.S. regular gasoline average was $4.049 a gallon on August 17, up 4.3 cents on the week and 92.4 cents over the year.
EIA data on the composition of retail diesel prices for May 2026 show crude oil accounted for 42% of the $5.60 average retail price that month, with refining at 25%, distribution and marketing at 23%, and taxes at 11%.
EIA releases the diesel figure every Monday. The next update is scheduled for August 25.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration - https://www.eia.gov/petroleum/gasdiesel/