Gas prices for 10/16/26: What will drivers pay heading into the weekend?

NewsThe national average is down nearly five cents this week, but remains $1.27 higher than the price was one year ago. Justin P. Hicks | jhicks3@mlive.comBy Matt Durr | mattdurr@mlive.comThe national average for a gallon of gas is down slightly as of Oct. 16 to $4.32. Over the course of the last week, the national average for regular unleaded has dropped by about 4.5 cents. The average price per gallon is down 4 cents from a month ago. While prices are down for the week, motorists continue to pay record prices for this time of year. For the entire months of August, September and the first half of October, the national average has not dropped below $4 per gallon. A year ago at this time, the average price was $3.05 per gallon. Diesel prices continue to stay above $6 on average, with the national price per gallon at $6.32 as of Oct. 16. Prices typically fall this time of year, but the ongoing instability along the Strait of Hormuz caused by the war in Iran has kept prices from falling. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has also impacted fuel prices. As of Oct. 16, drivers in just 14 states are paying less than $4 for regular unleaded. Those states are: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. The average price per gallon by state as of Oct. 16 is:StateRegularStateRegularAlabama$3.933Montana$4.485Alaska$4.944Nebraska$4.173Arizona$4.651Nevada$5.416Arkansas$3.933New Hampshire$4.276California$6.218New Jersey$4.266Colorado$4.347New Mexico$4.390Connecticut$4.380New York$4.434Delaware$4.100North Carolina$3.672Florida$4.190North Dakota$4.164Georgia$3.761Ohio$4.087Hawaii$5.638Oklahoma$3.993Idaho$4.853Oregon$4.966Illinois$4.706Pennsylvania$4.462Indiana$3.900Rhode Island$4.253Iowa$4.160South Carolina$3.885Kansas$3.997South Dakota$4.278Kentucky$3.971Tennessee$3.874Louisiana$3.895Texas$3.818Maine$4.365Utah$4.838Maryland$4.157Vermont$4.400Massachusetts$4.288Virginia$4.104Michigan$4.554Washington$5.411Minnesota$4.290West Virginia$4.209Mississippi$3.909Wisconsin$4.247Missouri$3.967Wyoming$4.497Source: AAA Fuel Prices, Oct. 16, 2026.Matt has been a trending news reporter since 2016. He covers a range of topics while focusing on national lottery, automotive news and recalls, FBI warnings, scam alerts and national real estate trends....