Pump Prices Remain Flat as Southeast Recovers From Pipeline Woes

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The national average price of regular gasoline remained relatively stable over the past week, settling at $2.21 per gallon as of Sept. 26. Drivers are paying the same price per gallon month-over-month and 8 cents less per gallon vs. the same period in 2015, according to AAA.

While the current average remains flat compared to one week ago, pump prices were pressured higher in some regions due to disruptions on the Colonial Pipeline.

Drivers in 25 states are paying less week over week. Some volatility remains in the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions, where gas prices continued to see upward momentum following the disruption. After more than a week of downtime following the discovery of a leak, fuel delivery has resumed, but it may take another week before affected states see relief at the pumps.

Average gas prices are less than $2 per gallon in five states: Texas ($1.95), Arkansas ($1.97), Mississippi ($1.99), Louisiana ($1.99), and New Jersey ($1.99). Meanwhile, the top 10 more expensive markets are Hawaii ($2.81), California ($2.76), Washington ($2.62), Alaska ($2.62), Oregon ($2.53), Nevada ($2.50), Idaho ($2.43), the District of Columbia ($2.38), Montana ($2.37) and Georgia ($2.35).

Gas prices in the Rocky Mountains have remained relatively stable compared to other markets, with drivers in four states seeing small weekly discounts: Wyoming (3 cents), Idaho (2 cents), Utah (2 cents) and North Dakota (1 cent). Some states in the region are also seeing significant year-over-year savings, with three making the list of top 10 biggest yearly discounts: Utah (41 cents), Wyoming (38 cents) and Idaho (26 cents).

The Great Lakes region continues to see the most volatile prices in the United States, likely due to the transport of gasoline to the southeast due to due to issues on the Colonial Pipeline. States that saw price increases early in the month are beginning to see significant weekly discounts, including Ohio (10 cents), Indiana (8 cents) and Michigan (7 cents).

Prices in the Central U.S. remain some of the cheapest in the country, although prices have followed the national average higher over the past week. Missouri ($2.01) and Oklahoma ($2.03) are among the top 15 lowest state averages.

Gas prices in the Northeast have remained relatively steady, while the Mid-Atlantic has seen price spikes in Virginia (9 cents), Maryland (6 cents) and Delaware (4 cents).

Colonial Pipeline Co. issues pushed prices higher in much of the Southeast, with the most impacted states topping the country's list of largest weekly increases: Alabama (8 cents), South Carolina (7 cents), North Carolina (5 cents) and Georgia (3 cents). Georgia also saw unusually high prices, reaching an average of $2.35. Despite this, drivers in the Gulf Coast are seeing some of the lowest gas prices, including those in Texas ($1.95), Arkansas ($1.97), Mississippi ($1.99), Louisiana ($1.99) and Alabama ($2.09).

The West Coast has the highest average gas prices in the country, with every state in the region placing on the top 10 list of most expensive markets: Hawaii ($2.81), California ($2.76), Washington ($2.72), Alaska ($2.63), Oregon ($2.54) and Nevada ($2.50).