The average price for a gallon of gas in Pennsylvania hit $3.82 on Thursday, a spike of 70 cents since the war with Iran began on Feb. 28.
The Iran war has rattled the global flow of oil, with steeper fuel costs already straining households worldwide. And in the U.S., drivers are now facing the highest prices they’ve seen at the pump in two and a half years.
According to motor club AAA, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline jumped to over $3.88 on Thursday, up from $2.98 consumers were paying before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28.
In Pennsylvania, a gallon of regular is now $3.82, up from $3.66 this time last week, and $3.12 just before the war started.
Pennsylvania’s highest gas prices are in Philadelphia, where the average price is $3.95 a gallon, up from $3.60 a week ago. Fulton County has the lowest average cost, at $3.52 a gallon.
Here’s a breakdown of the current average gas cost per gallon in Pennsylvania’s top 10 metro areas, with the average cost per gallon this time last week in parentheses:
- Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton: $3.85 ($3.61)
- East Stroudsburg: $3.85 ($3.57)
- Erie: $3.75 ($3.76)
- Harrisburg-Carlisle: $3.74 ($3.66)
- Lancaster: $3.84 ($3.67)
- Philadelphia: $3.95 ($3.60)
- Pittsburgh: $3.84 ($3.75)
- Reading: $3.91 ($3.72)
- Scranton-Wilkes-Barre: $3.79 ($3.54)
- York-Hanover: $3.73 ($3.71)
How is the war impacting gas prices?
The spiking gas prices are a result of Iran’s decision to effectively close the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial Middle Eastern export route that carries 20% of global oil flows, after the U.S. and Israeli attacks.
More than 3,000 ships use the strait every month. Most of them transport crude oil, refined petroleum, and liquid natural gas.
Concerns about how long disruptions could last for the production and transport of oil and natural gas in the region, and the possibility of even more, are what’s driving the higher prices.
As crude prices spiked above $100 a barrel, President Donald Trump pressured allies and trade partners to send warships and reopen the strait, hoping to lower oil prices.
How Pennsylvania lawmakers are trying to ease pain at the pump
Democratic state Reps. Joe Ciresi (Montgomery) and Jim Haddock (Lackawanna/Luzerne) are calling on the Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday’s office to investigate gas price gouging, alleging that gas prices started rising in Pennsylvania “as soon as the first bomb struck in Iran,” even though gas flowing at the pumps then had already been paid for.
Democratic state Sen. Lisa Boscola (Lehigh/Northampton) has introduced a proposal to suspend the state’s gas tax for 60 days. The gas tax is 57.6 cents per gallon, the fourth highest gas tax in the country behind only California, Washington, and Illinois.
What is the White House saying?
Before the war, President Donald Trump once bragged about keeping gas prices low. But he’s since pivoted to try and paint high oil prices as a positive outcome for the U.S. Last week, Trump said that because the U.S. is now largest crude producer in the world, “when oil prices go up, we make a lot of money.”
What Pennsylvanians are saying about rising gas prices
Dan Bradley, a flatbed truck driver from Pennsylvania, said he’s felt rising prices for both his work and personal vehicles. Beyond regular gasoline, the U.S. average for diesel neared $5.07 a gallon on Wednesday, per AAA, its highest level since 2022.
Before the Iran war started, diesel was averaging at about $3.76 a gallon.
“It sucks when you’re filling up,” said Bradley. “What are you going to do, not get gas?”
How to find the cheapest gas prices
Whether you’re traveling or at home, the website GasBuddy offers information to find the cheapest prices for gasoline.
Enter your state, city, or ZIP code to find the cheapest fuel prices in the area.
Information from the Associated Press and USA Today via Reuters Connect was used in this report.
