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Diesel Price & Trucking Cost Per Mile by State (2026)

Fuel is the single biggest variable cost in trucking. This page shows the average diesel price in every U.S. state and the fuel cost per mile it works out to for a typical truck — ranked, plus the latest official EIA regional prices, and recalculated live for your own MPG.

Quick answer: The U.S. average on-highway diesel price is $5.967/gal (week of September 7, 2026), up 36.8¢ on the week. Diesel is priciest on the West Coast (California $7.764) and lowest by EIA region on the Lower Atlantic/Gulf side (Gulf Coast $5.754). Fuel cost per mile = diesel price ÷ your MPG — about $0.918/mile at 6.5 mpg.
U.S. average diesel $5.967/gal → fuel cost $0.918/mi
Change MPG to recompute the whole table.
#StateAvg diesel $/galFuel cost / milevs U.S. avg
1Hawaii$7.89$1.214+$1.92
2California$7.76$1.194+$1.79
3Washington$6.84$1.052+$0.87
4Indiana$6.31$0.971+$0.34
5Illinois$6.24$0.960+$0.27
6Pennsylvania$6.19$0.952+$0.22
7Michigan$6.15$0.946+$0.18
8Ohio$6.12$0.942+$0.15
9Oregon$6.12$0.942+$0.15
10Minnesota$6.03$0.928+$0.06
11Nevada$6.03$0.928+$0.06
12New York$6.03$0.928+$0.06
13North Dakota$6.03$0.928+$0.06
14Maine$6.02$0.926+$0.05
15Iowa$5.97$0.918+$0.00
16New Mexico$5.97$0.918+$0.00
17Idaho$5.94$0.914−$0.03
18Tennessee$5.91$0.909−$0.06
19Alabama$5.90$0.908−$0.07
20Connecticut$5.88$0.905−$0.09
21Massachusetts$5.88$0.905−$0.09
22South Dakota$5.88$0.905−$0.09
23Wisconsin$5.88$0.905−$0.09
24Vermont$5.87$0.903−$0.10
25District of Columbia$5.86$0.902−$0.11
26Nebraska$5.84$0.898−$0.13
27New Hampshire$5.82$0.895−$0.15
28Rhode Island$5.82$0.895−$0.15
29Utah$5.81$0.894−$0.16
30Kansas$5.78$0.889−$0.19
31Kentucky$5.78$0.889−$0.19
32Wyoming$5.77$0.888−$0.20
33Montana$5.76$0.886−$0.21
34Maryland$5.75$0.885−$0.22
35Colorado$5.73$0.882−$0.24
36Missouri$5.72$0.880−$0.25
37Arkansas$5.71$0.878−$0.26
38Arizona$5.70$0.877−$0.27
39Delaware$5.67$0.872−$0.30
40Louisiana$5.67$0.872−$0.30
41Mississippi$5.66$0.871−$0.31
42New Jersey$5.64$0.868−$0.33
43Florida$5.63$0.866−$0.34
44Texas$5.61$0.863−$0.36
45West Virginia$5.56$0.855−$0.41
46Alaska$5.55$0.854−$0.42
47Virginia$5.54$0.852−$0.43
48Georgia$5.52$0.849−$0.45
49North Carolina$5.45$0.838−$0.52
50Oklahoma$5.45$0.838−$0.52
51South Carolina$5.27$0.811−$0.70

Diesel prices by region (PADD) — EIA, week of September 7, 2026

The state figures above are estimates re-anchored to current regional levels. The U.S. EIA also publishes an authoritative weekly diesel average for the nation and its five regional PADD districts. Here is the latest release — with the change from the prior week and the fuel cost per mile it implies at 6.5 mpg:

Region (PADD)Avg diesel $/galChange vs prior weekFuel cost / mile
U.S. average$5.967+$0.368$0.918
East Coast (PADD 1)$5.744+$0.296$0.884
Midwest (PADD 2)$5.946+$0.375$0.915
Gulf Coast (PADD 3)$5.754+$0.394$0.885
Rocky Mountain (PADD 4)$5.805+$0.250$0.893
West Coast (PADD 5)$6.987+$0.490$1.075

West Coast excluding California averages $6.314; California alone is $7.764 (+$0.546 on the week). Source: U.S. EIA Gasoline & Diesel Fuel Update, week of September 7, 2026; published September 9.

Diesel moved sharply higher again. The national average rose 36.8¢ in one week to $5.967. Every PADD increased, with the West Coast up 49.0¢ and the Gulf Coast up 39.4¢. That one-week national move adds about $0.057/mile at 6.5 mpg, or about $5,662 a year over 100,000 miles. Turn a diesel price into a rate adjustment with the fuel surcharge calculator, and reconcile fuel tax across states with the IFTA calculator.

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How to read this

Fuel cost per mile = diesel price ÷ your miles per gallon. At 6.5 mpg, a $0.30/gal swing between states is worth about $0.046/mile — on 100,000 miles a year that's $4,615. Where you fuel matters, but so does your truck: a reefer or a heavy flatbed load drops your MPG and pushes every number here up. Plug your real MPG above, then run a full all-in number (fuel + fixed + maintenance + your pay) in the cost-per-mile calculator. If you buy fuel on a discount network, the fuel card savings calculator shows what a few cents off per gallon is worth over a year.

Highest and lowest diesel states

Under this week's regional re-anchoring, the priciest modeled diesel is in Hawaii (~$7.89), California (~$7.76), and Washington (~$6.84). The lowest modeled state average is South Carolina (~$5.27), followed by North Carolina and Oklahoma (~$5.45). That's about a $2.62/gal modeled spread — roughly $0.403/mile at 6.5 mpg. The EIA's direct regional data shows the West Coast (PADD 5) highest at $6.987 and the Gulf Coast (PADD 3) lowest at $5.754.

Frequently asked questions

Which state has the cheapest diesel for truckers?

For the week of September 7, 2026, South Carolina is the lowest modeled state average (~$5.27/gal) after the state figures are re-anchored to EIA's current regional levels. EIA's direct regional figure is lowest on the Gulf Coast (PADD 3) at $5.754/gal. Prices at individual stops will differ, so use this as route-planning context, not a pump quote.

How much does diesel price change my cost per mile?

Divide the pump price by your MPG. At 6.5 mpg, the $5.967 U.S. average equals $0.918/mile in fuel alone; $6.50 diesel equals $1.000/mile. Use the calculator above to see it for your truck.

Does the state I buy fuel in affect IFTA?

Yes — IFTA reconciles fuel tax by the miles you run in each jurisdiction, not just where you buy. Buying cheaper fuel still lowers your out-of-pocket cost, but your tax is settled by mileage per state. Run the numbers in the IFTA fuel-tax calculator.

Where is diesel cheapest and most expensive by region?

By EIA's latest weekly data (week of September 7, 2026), diesel is lowest on the Gulf Coast (PADD 3, $5.754) and highest on the West Coast (PADD 5, $6.987), pulled up by California at $7.764. The Midwest ($5.946) and East Coast ($5.744) sit near the U.S. average of $5.967.

Is diesel getting cheaper in 2026?

Not in this release: the U.S. on-highway average rose 36.8¢ in the past week to $5.967/gal for the week of September 7, 2026. EIA updates the national and regional averages weekly.

How do I turn a diesel price into a fuel surcharge?

A fuel surcharge is the diesel price above a set base (often about $1.20/gal) divided by an assumed MPG (often 6.0). At $5.967 diesel with a $1.20 base and 6.0 MPG, that's ($5.967−$1.20)/6 ≈ $0.79/mile. Our fuel surcharge calculator does it for your own base and MPG.

Methodology & sources

The regional table is direct EIA data (U.S. and PADD 1–5 on-highway diesel, week of September 7, 2026). EIA does not publish an all-state diesel-price table. The state figures therefore preserve the previous AAA-derived state-to-state differentials and re-anchor them to the latest applicable EIA regional (PADD) level; California is pinned to EIA's direct California reading of $7.764. They are modeled planning estimates, not retail-station quotes. Fuel cost per mile is price ÷ MPG (default 6.5 mpg). Sources: AAA State Gas Price Averages, U.S. EIA Gasoline & Diesel Update. See the machine-readable market snapshot. Last updated September 12, 2026.

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