Pennsylvania drivers are paying $4 for gas in some parts of the state

For the first time in four years, the average price for a gallon of gas is more than $4 in some parts of Pennsylvania.

As the war in Iran continues to rattle the global flow of oil, gas prices continue to climb—and drivers in some parts of Pennsylvania are now paying around $4 a gallon for the first time in four years.

The last time prices spiked this high in Pennsylvania was in spring and summer 2022, when gas surpassed $5 per gallon during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and lingering pandemic disruptions.

According to motor club AAA, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline jumped to over $3.98 on Thursday, up from $3.88 last week—and from $2.98 before the US and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28. 

In Pennsylvania, the average price is now $3.95, up from $3.82 this time last week, and $3.12 just before the war started.

Prices are already above $4 in several counties—including Bedford, Greene, Philadelphia, and Wayne—and are approaching that mark in others, such as Bradford, Bucks, Delaware, Forest, Montgomery, and Sullivan counties.   

Union County has the lowest average cost, at $3.75 a gallon.

Here’s a breakdown of the current average gas cost per gallon in Pennsylvania’s top 10 metro areas, with last week’s prices in parentheses:

• Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton: $3.93 ($3.85)
• East Stroudsburg: $3.96 ($3.85)
• Erie: $3.97 ($3.75)
• Harrisburg-Carlisle: $3.92 ($3.74)
• Lancaster: $3.94 ($3.84)
• Philadelphia: $4.00 ($3.95)
• Pittsburgh: $3.96 ($3.84)
• Reading: $3.96 ($3.91)
• Scranton-Wilkes-Barre: $3.94 ($3.79)
• York-Hanover: $3.90 ($3.73)

How is the war impacting gas prices?

In response to US and Israeli attacks, Iran has severely limited traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of global oil passes.

Israel’s March 19 attack on Iran’s largest gas field, South Pars, led to retaliatory strikes by Iran on US-allied Gulf nations. Hours after the South Pars attack, Iran struck oil refineries in Kuwait and damaged Qatar’s massive liquefied natural gas production site, Ras Laffan.

Concerns about how long disruptions could last for the production and transport of oil and natural gas in the region, and the possibility of even more, are what’s driving the higher prices.

President Donald Trump has been pressuring allies and trade partners to send warships and reopen the strait, hoping to lower oil prices.

How Pennsylvania lawmakers are trying to ease pain at the pump

Pennsylvania’s gas tax is 57.6 cents per gallon, the fourth highest gas tax in the country behind only California, Washington, and Illinois.

Democratic state Sen. Lisa Boscola (Lehigh/Northampton) has introduced a proposal to suspend the state’s gas tax for 60 days. Lawmakers in other states are pitching similar proposals.

When gas prices jumped just after the war began, Democratic state Reps. Joe Ciresi (Montgomery) and Jim Haddock (Lackawanna/Luzerne) called on the Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday’s office to investigate gas price gouging, alleging that gas prices started rising in Pennsylvania “as soon as the first bomb struck in Iran,” even though gas flowing at the pumps then had already been paid for.

What is the White House saying?

Before the war, President Donald Trump once bragged about keeping gas prices low. But he’s since pivoted to try and paint high oil prices as a positive outcome for the US Last week, Trump said that because the US is now the largest crude producer in the world—“when oil prices go up, we make a lot of money.”

What Pennsylvanians are saying about rising gas prices

Dan Bradley, a flatbed truck driver, said he’s felt rising prices for both his work and personal vehicles. Beyond regular gasoline, the US average for diesel neared $5.35 a gallon on Wednesday, per AAA, its highest level since 2022. 

Before the Iran war started, diesel was averaging at about $3.76 a gallon.

“It sucks when you’re filling up,” Bradley told the Associated Press. “What are you going to do, not get gas?”

How to find the cheapest gas prices

Whether you’re traveling or at home, the website GasBuddy offers information to find the cheapest prices for gasoline.

Enter your state, city, or ZIP code to find the cheapest fuel prices in the area.

Information from the Associated Press and USA Today via Reuters Connect was used in this report.