Oil & Gasoline Prices
Latest data: September 15, 2026 · Updated automatically from official sources
Energy is the most volatile major input in the U.S. economy. A swing in crude oil can move headline CPI inflation meaningfully within a single month, and gasoline prices shape how households feel about the economy more than almost any other price. This page tracks the two global crude benchmarks — WTI and Brent — and the average price U.S. drivers pay at the pump.
Latest readings
- WTI Crude ($/bbl) was $107.02 as of Sep 15, 2026, up 4.5% from the prior reading and up 68.1% from a year earlier.
- Brent Crude ($/bbl) was $130.80 as of Sep 15, 2026, up 7.9% from the prior reading and up 92.7% from a year earlier.
- US Gasoline ($/gal) was $4.319 as of Sep 14, 2026, up 3.9% from the prior reading and up 35.3% from a year earlier.
- CPI Energy was up 16.1% year over year in August 2026, compared with 14.5% in the prior period and 0.4% a year earlier.
WTI vs. Brent crude oil
U.S. retail gasoline price
WTI crude oil since 1986
Recent readings
| Period | WTI ($/bbl, month-end) | Change | Brent ($/bbl) | Gasoline ($/gal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | $107.02 | +23.0% | $130.80 | $4.319 |
| Aug 2026 | $87.03 | +1.0% | $89.75 | $4.071 |
| Jul 2026 | $86.16 | +22.1% | $96.95 | $4.096 |
| Jun 2026 | $70.56 | -22.6% | $70.46 | $3.831 |
| May 2026 | $91.16 | -16.1% | $92.88 | $4.475 |
| Apr 2026 | $108.64 | +5.6% | $124.24 | $4.123 |
| Mar 2026 | $102.86 | +53.6% | $126.69 | $3.990 |
| Feb 2026 | $66.96 | +3.8% | $71.32 | $2.937 |
| Jan 2026 | $64.50 | +12.6% | $72.25 | $2.853 |
| Dec 2025 | $57.26 | -2.3% | $61.35 | $2.811 |
| Nov 2025 | $58.58 | -5.1% | $64.07 | $3.061 |
| Oct 2025 | $61.75 | -2.2% | $65.44 | $3.035 |
| Sep 2025 | $63.17 | — | $68.52 | $3.118 |
Key statistics
| Indicator | Latest | Year ago | 5-yr avg | Long-run avg | Record high | Record low | Data since |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WTI Crude ($/bbl) | $107.02 | $63.66 | $79.37 | $49.93 | $145.31 (Jul 2008) | $-36.98 (Apr 2020) | 1986 |
| Brent Crude ($/bbl) | $130.80 | $67.88 | $84.17 | $54.32 | $143.95 (Jul 2008) | $9.10 (Dec 1998) | 1987 |
| US Gasoline ($/gal) | $4.319 | $3.192 | $3.504 | $2.420 | $5.006 (Jun 2022) | $0.907 (Feb 1999) | 1990 |
| CPI Energy (YoY) | 16.1% | 0.4% | 7.9% | 4.5% | 47.2% (Mar 1980) | -27.8% (Jul 2009) | 1958 |
WTI vs. Brent
West Texas Intermediate (WTI) is a light, sweet U.S. crude priced for delivery at Cushing, Oklahoma, and is the benchmark for U.S. oil production. Brent is a blend of North Sea crudes and prices most of the world’s internationally traded oil. Brent usually trades a few dollars above WTI; the gap reflects transport costs from inland U.S. fields to the coast and shifts in regional supply. In April 2020, WTI futures briefly traded below zero as storage at Cushing filled up — a unique event visible in the long-run chart.
From crude oil to the gas pump
The U.S. Energy Information Administration breaks the retail gasoline price into four parts: the cost of crude oil (typically the largest share, often around half), refining costs and margins, distribution and marketing, and federal and state taxes. Pump prices usually follow crude with a lag of a few weeks, and they tend to rise faster than they fall (“rockets and feathers”). Seasonal factors matter too: the switch to more expensive summer-blend gasoline and peak driving demand usually push prices up in spring.
Energy prices and inflation
Energy makes up a modest share of the CPI basket, but its volatility means it can dominate monthly changes in headline inflation. That is why economists focus on “core” inflation, which excludes food and energy, when judging the underlying trend. See the CPI page for the energy component.
Frequently asked questions
Why are gas prices different from state to state?
State fuel taxes, environmental fuel requirements (such as California’s special blends), distance from refineries and local competition all cause pump prices to vary widely across the country.
How often is the gasoline price updated?
EIA surveys retail gasoline prices every Monday and publishes the national average the same day. Crude oil prices on this page are daily closing spot prices.
Related data
Data are retrieved automatically from the original statistical agencies (via the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis FRED database) and may be revised by the source. Year-over-year changes are calculated by econHQ. See About & methodology for details.