U.S. gasoline fell to $4.284 while diesel rose to $6.276
EIA's October 20 release puts regular gasoline at $4.284 a gallon nationwide and diesel at $6.276, with gasoline down but diesel up from the prior week.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration's October 20 release estimates that regular gasoline averaged $4.284 per gallon nationwide on October 19. That was 4.7 cents lower than the prior week but $1.265 above the year-earlier reading. EIA's retail figures include taxes.
Diesel averaged $6.276 per gallon, up 9.7 cents in one week and $2.656 above a year earlier. These are weekly estimates for the dates shown, not a measure of every station's price.
Prices differ across the country
EIA reported October 19 regional gasoline averages ranging from $3.784 on the Gulf Coast to $5.557 on the West Coast, with the East Coast at $4.064, the Midwest at $4.145, and the Rocky Mountain region at $4.468. Its selected state figures ranged from $3.704 in Texas to $6.031 in California.
The national decline hid regional differences: West Coast gasoline fell 8.2 cents from the prior week, the Rocky Mountain average rose 2.9 cents, and the Midwest average was unchanged.
Drivers should check prices near the routes and stations they actually use. Fuel grade, local taxes, distribution costs, and station-level pricing can move a personal fill-up above or below an EIA regional average.
Do not confuse the weekly reading with a forecast
EIA's separate October Short-Term Energy Outlook forecasts regular gasoline will average $3.91 per gallon in 2026 and $3.56 in 2027. A weekly reading can sit above or below an annual average, and the forecast can change as oil supply, inventories, demand, and margins change.
How to update a vehicle budget
Divide expected annual miles by the vehicle's realistic miles per gallon, then multiply by a local fuel-price assumption.
Test more than one fuel-price scenario instead of assuming the latest weekly move will continue.
Compare fuel with financing, insurance, maintenance, registration, taxes, and depreciation.
Sellers should describe official fuel-economy ratings accurately and avoid promising a specific future fuel bill.
Primary references
Sources and methodology
MyFavi links to the original material so you can verify the details, reporting period, and later updates.
Weekly fuel-price estimates and energy forecasts can change. This article provides national and regional context, not a guarantee of a future price or a vehicle's total ownership cost.
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