Diesel Tops $6 a Gallon, 28 States Hit Records

The U.S. national average diesel price reached $6.00 a gallon for the first time on Thursday, and 28 states posted all-time highs as retail diesel prices rose across the country.

GasBuddy’s live data showed the national record came less than a week after diesel hit $5.85. At $6.00, diesel is about $2.30 higher than it was a year earlier. Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, identified Texas, California, Florida, Washington and North Carolina among the states with new records.

Crude oil prices have been a major factor. Brent crude crossed $100 a barrel on Sept. 8 and reached an intraday high near $111 before trading around $108.20. West Texas Intermediate traded near $103. Both benchmarks are on track for a weekly close above $100, their first such finish since mid-May, and have risen more than 20% in the past month.

Physical shipping disruptions have tightened supply. Iran-aligned Houthi forces seized Yemen’s port of Mocha, and repeated tanker attacks have restricted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, complicating deliveries of crude and refined products. Saudi Arabia notified OPEC that its crude output fell by about 1.9 million barrels per day to roughly 6.2 million barrels per day.

U.S. diesel inventories remain lean. The Energy Information Administration reported diesel stocks at 106.3 million barrels, about 13% below the five-year average, leaving less cushion for supply shocks or sudden demand increases.

At the retail level, some stations are hitting display limits as they pass through higher wholesale costs. De Haan noted five stations in California showing $9.999 per gallon for diesel, the maximum figure the dispensers can display.

Higher diesel prices affect industries that rely on fuel for transport and heating. Diesel powers much of long-haul trucking and freight movement; increases in diesel typically raise costs for groceries, package deliveries and heating bills.

Political commentary followed the price surge. Sen. Elizabeth Warren wrote on social media, “Donald Trump’s war with Iran did this.” Patrick De Haan warned, “Record diesel prices will impact every cargo, shipment, every delivery Americans are taking, and are likely to reignite inflation up and down the supply chain… I suggest Americans anticipate a costlier holiday season.”

OPEC has trimmed its 2026 world oil demand growth forecast to 380,000 barrels per day, the fifth straight downward revision, while prices have climbed on supply-side concerns. Market participants say continued disruption in key shipping lanes or further crude-price increases would likely keep pressure on diesel prices and on costs for businesses and consumers that rely on diesel-fueled transport and heating.