PORTLAND, Ore., – Pump prices are declining in Oregon and most other states this week, driven by the seasonal switch to winter-blend fuel. The Olympic Pipeline’s return to operations has also put downward pressure on pump prices in the Pacific Northwest. For the week, the national average for regular loses two cents to $3.15 a gallon. The Oregon average falls four cents to $4.19 a gallon.
“The outage of the Olympic Pipeline starting in early September caused pump prices to skyrocket in the Pacific Northwest. Thankfully, drivers here are getting some relief now that the pipeline is open again. And Oregon gas stations can now sell winter-blend gas, which costs less to make than summer-blend fuel.” says Marie Dodds, public affairs director for AAA Oregon/Idaho.
While this year’s Atlantic hurricane season has been less active than some years, a major storm remains the wildcard. Any storm that targets the Gulf Coast can have an impact on the production and distribution of oil and gas.
The Oregon average for regular gas began 2025 at $3.45 a gallon and is currently at $4.19. The highest price of the year so far is $4.297 on September 13 and 14. The lowest price of the year so far is just under $3.45 a gallon on January 2.
The national average began 2025 at $3.06 a gallon and is currently at $3.15. The highest price of the year so far is $3.268 on April 4. The lowest price of the year so far is $3.06 on January 5.
This week 28 Oregon counties have averages at or above $4, compared to 32 a week ago:
Clackamas $4.34
Clatsop $4.20
Columbia $4.30
Coos $4.24
Crook $4.13
Curry $4.35
Deschutes $4.03
Douglas $4.15
Grant $4.42
Harney $4.43
Hood River $4.10
Jackson $4.22
Jefferson $4.06
Josephine $4.26
Klamath $4.12
Lake $4.32
Lane $4.07
Lincoln $4.02
Marion $4.06
Morrow $4.04
Multnomah $4.37
Polk $4.05
Sherman $4.25
Tillamook $4.34
Wallowa $4.20
Wasco $4.22
Washington $4.35
Yamhill $4.24
Demand for gasoline in the U.S. increased from 8.81 million b/d to 8.96 million for the week ending September 19. This compares to 9.21 million b/d a year ago. Total domestic gasoline supply decreased from 217.6 million barrels to 216.6 million. Gasoline production increased last week, averaging 9.7 million barrels per day compared to 9.4 million barrels per day the previous week.
Gas prices usually drop in the fall, due to the switch from summer-blend to winter-blend fuel, which costs less to produce. The switch starts in September. Many areas, including Oregon, can sell winter-blend fuel starting September 15. However, Northern and Southern California require summer-blend fuel through October 31. Prices usually decline to their lowest levels of the year in late fall and early winter before increasing again in the late winter and early spring.
Gas prices typically rise starting in mid-to-late winter and early spring as refineries undergo maintenance ahead of the switch to summer-blend fuel, which is more expensive to produce and less likely to evaporate in warmer temperatures. The switch occurs first in California, which is why pump prices on the West Coast often rise before other parts of the country. The East Coast is the last major market to switch to summer-blend fuel. Most areas have a May 1 compliance date for refiners and terminals, while most gas stations have a June 1 deadline to switch to selling summer-blend until June 1. Switch-over dates are earlier in California with some areas in the state requiring summer-blend fuel by April 1. Some refineries will begin maintenance and the switchover in February.
The U.S. price of crude oil (West Texas Intermediate) had been mostly in the low-$60s to mid-$70s since September 2024. Crude prices spiked to the mid-$70s in mid-June in response to the strikes between Israel and Iran, and then the U.S. strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, but then prices fell back into the $60s on the belief that the conflict would not have a major impact on global oil supplies. Crude prices fell in early April as markets reacted to President Trumps tariffs and the impact on U.S. and global markets. Additional downward pressure on crude prices came after the decision by OPEC+ to increase production. The lowest closing price since September was $57.13 on May 5, which was the lowest closing price since February 2021. The recent high price for crude was $80.04 per barrel on January 15, which was the highest price since last August.
Crude oil is trading around $63 today compared to $63 a week ago and $68 a year ago. In 2024, West Texas Intermediate ranged between $66 and $87 per barrel. In 2023, WTI ranged between $63 and $95 per barrel. WTI reached recent highs of $123.70 on March 8, 2022, shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and $122.11 per barrel on June 8, 2022. The all-time high for WTI crude oil is $147.27 in July 2008.
Crude prices are impacted by economic news as well as geopolitical events around the world including the current economic uncertainty, unrest in the Middle East, the war between Israel and Hamas, and the war between Russia and Ukraine. Russia is a top global oil producer, behind the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. Crude prices have been volatile after the attack on Israel by Hamas in October 2023. While Israel and the Palestinian territory are not oil producers, concerns remain that the conflict could spread in the Middle East, which could potentially impact crude production in other oil-producing nations in the region. In addition, production cuts by OPEC+ in previous years tightened global crude oil supplies, which continued to impact prices. But this year, the cartel boosted production by 411,000 barrels per day in May and June, and July, 548,000 barrels per day in August, 547,000 barrels per day in September, and 137,000 barrels per day in October.
Crude oil is the main ingredient in gasoline and diesel, so pump prices are impacted by crude prices on the global markets. On average, about 52% of what we pay for in a gallon of gasoline is for the price of crude oil, 16% is refining, 15% distribution and marketing, and 17% are taxes, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Meanwhile, crude oil production in the U.S. remains near record highs. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports that crude production in his country rose from 13.48 to 13.50 million barrels per day for the week ending September 19. The record high is 13.63 million barrels per day for the week of December 6. Production has been at 13.5 million barrels per day many times since October 2024. The U.S. has been the top producer of crude oil in the world since 2018 and has been increasing its oil production since about 2009.
Quick stats
Oregon is one of 42 states with lower prices now than a week ago. Colorado (-14 cents) has the largest week-over-week decline in the nation. West Virginia (+2 cents) has the biggest week-over-week increase in the nation.
California ($4.65) is the state with the most expensive gas in the nation for the second week in a row. Washington took over the top spot for a week in September when the Olympic Pipeline was out of operation. This week, Washington ($4.55) is second, Hawaii ($4.48) is third, and Oregon ($4.19) is fourth. These are the four states with averages at or above $4 a gallon. This week 23 states and the District of Columbia have averages in the $3-range. There are 23 states with an average in the $2 range this week.
The cheapest gas in the nation is in Oklahoma ($2.63) and Mississippi ($2.68) and. No state has had an average below $2 a gallon since January 7, 2021, when Mississippi and Texas were below that threshold. At the time, the COVID-19 pandemic drove significant declines in crude oil and gasoline demand in the U.S. and around the world.
The difference between the most expensive and least expensive states is $2.02 this week, compared to $1.97 a week ago.
Oregon is one of 14 states and the District of Columbia with higher prices now than a month ago. The national average is four cents less and the Oregon average is 21 cents more than a month ago. This is the largest month-over-month jump for a state in the nation. Washington (+15 cents) has the second largest month-over-month increase in the nation, while Arizona (+13 cents) has the third largest monthly increase. Ohio (-23 cents) has the largest month-over-month drop.
Oregon is one of 12 states with higher prices now than a year ago. The national average is seven cents less, while the Oregon average is 53 cents more. Oregon has the largest year-over-year increase in the nation. Washington (+50 cents) has the second-largest increase. Colorado (-38 cents) has the largest yearly drop.
West Coast
The West Coast region continues to have the most expensive pump prices in the nation with all seven states in the top 10. It’s typical for the West Coast to have six or seven states in the top 10 as this region tends to consistently have fairly tight supplies, consuming about as much gasoline as is produced. In addition, this region is located relatively far from parts of the country where oil drilling, production and refining occurs, so transportation costs are higher. And environmental programs in this region add to the cost of production, storage and distribution.
The recent outage of the Olympic Pipeline caused pump prices in the region to soar.
| Rank | Region | Price on 9/30/2025 |
| 1 | California | $4.65 |
| 2 | Washington | $4.55 |
| 3 | Hawaii | $4.48 |
| 4 | Oregon | $4.19 |
| 5 | Nevada | $3.90 |
| 6 | Alaska | $3.88 |
| 7 | Arizona | $3.55 |
| 8 | Idaho | $3.49 |
| 9 | Utah | $3.39 |
| 10 | Illinois | $3.37 |
As mentioned above, California is the state with the most expensive gas in the nation for the second week in a row. Washington is second – it held the top spot for one week earlier this month due to the outage of the Olympic Pipeline. Hawaii, Oregon, Nevada, Alaska, and Arizona round out the top seven. Oregon is fourth most expensive for the 19th week in a row.
Six of the seven West Coast states have week-over-week decreases: Washington (-5 cents), Oregon (-4 cents), Arizona (-3 cents), Alaska (-1 cent), California (-1 cent), and Nevada (-1 cent). Hawaii (+6/10ths of a cent) has a tiny increase.
The refinery utilization rate on the West Coast jumped from 82.4% to 87.9% for the week ending September 19. This rate has ranged between about 72% to 93% in the last year. The latest national refinery utilization rate ticked down from 93.3% to 93.0%.
The refinery utilization rate measures how much crude oil refineries are processing as a percentage of their maximum capacity. A low or declining rate can put upward pressure on pump prices, while a high or rising rate can put downward pressure on pump prices.
According to EIA’s latest weekly report, total gas stocks in the region inched up from 30.04 million bbl. to 30.05 million bbl. An increase in gasoline stocks can put downward pressure on pump prices, while a decrease in gasoline stocks can put upward pressure on pump prices.
Oil market dynamics
Crude oil prices dropped to start this week on news from OPEC+ that the cartel may proceed with another round of production increases.
Meanwhile, the EIA reports that crude oil inventories decreased by 0.6 million barrels from the previous week. At 414.8 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are about 4% below the five-year average for this time of year.
At the close of Friday’s formal trading session, WTI added 74 cents to close at $65.72. At the close of Monday’s formal trading session, WTI lost $2.27 to settle at $63.45. Today crude is trading around $63 compared to $63 a week ago. Crude prices are about $5 less than a year ago. ($68.17 on September 30, 2024)
Drivers can find current gas prices along their route with the free AAA Mobile app for iPhone, iPad and Android. The app can also be used to map a route, find discounts, book a hotel and access AAA roadside assistance. Learn more at AAA.com/mobile.
Diesel
For the week, the national average ticks up about half a cent to $3.70 a gallon. The record high is $5.816 set on June 19, 2022. The Oregon average edges down one cent to $4.48. The record high is $6.47 set on July 3, 2022. A year ago the national average for diesel was $3.57 and the Oregon average was $3.88.
Find current fuel prices at GasPrices.AAA.com.
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Fuel prices are updated daily at AAA’s Daily Fuel Gauge at AAA Fuel Prices. For more info go www.AAA.com. AAA Oregon/Idaho provides more than 914,000 members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services, and is an affiliate of AAA National, serving more than 65 million members in North America.