Gas Prices Set an October Record as Drivers Brace for More

American drivers are paying more for gasoline this October than in any October on record. AAA put the national average at $4.34 to $4.36 a gallon this week, the first time the October average has ever stayed above $4.

Tuesday marked the 157th day of 2026 with the national average above $4, matching the record set in 2022, according to a tally by GasBuddy’s Patrick De Haan. If prices hold above $4 on Wednesday, the count reaches 158 days and sets a new record.

Motorists are paying about $1.26 more per gallon than a year ago, when the average was near $3.08. A 15-gallon fill-up costs roughly $65 today, compared with about $46 last October. For someone buying 50 gallons a month, the difference is about $63 in extra monthly fuel costs.

Crude oil is the engine behind the pain. After dipping into the $80s, oil climbed back above $90 a barrel on disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and renewed Middle East tensions. West Texas Intermediate settled at $88.28 on Oct. 7, and Brent has traded near $106.

Philadelphia-area drivers are feeling it directly. The five-county average sits in the mid-$4 range, with some Delaware County stations topping $4.50 a gallon, according to AAA data reported by FOX 29.

“Gas prices remain the highest they’ve ever been for this time of year,” said Doug Johnson, a spokesperson for AAA’s Mountain West Group. “This is the first year the national average has been above $4 per gallon in October.”

Relief is not clearly in sight. AAA notes that gasoline inventories are holding steady, but crude remains volatile enough to send pump prices higher again with little warning. Consolidating errands, carpooling and keeping up with tire pressure and oil changes can stretch each tank, AAA advises.