The 5 states with the lowest average cost of gas — and the 5 with the highest

• The American Automobile Association tracks average gas prices in every state.
• Mississippi has the lowest gas prices with an average cost of $2.937 per gallon.
• California's gas prices are the highest in the US with an average cost of $4.794 per gallon.

Gas prices have fluctuated dramatically over the last few years, according to data from the US Energy Information Administration , or EIA.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused the price of gas to fall to a national average of $2.258 per gallon in 2020. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, prices skyrocketed to an average of $4.059 per gallon.

The American Automobile Association, or AAA, reports that the national average sits at $3.491 as of July 1. Costs vary by state depending on factors such as distance from supply, retail competition, and local taxes, according to the EIA.

California, for example, has some of the highest gasoline taxes out of any state and uses a special fuel formulation due to environmental regulations, contributing to its higher-than-average prices.

Here are the states with the highest and lowest gas prices in the US, according to AAA data.

Alabama has the fifth-lowest gas prices in the US with an average cost of $3.087 per gallon of regular gas.

Oklahoma's average cost for a gallon of regular gas is $3.059, making it the state with the fourth-lowest gas prices. Arkansas has the country's third-lowest gas prices at an average of $3.053 per gallon.

Louisiana is the second-cheapest state for regular gas, with an average cost of $3.005 per gallon.

Mississippi has the lowest gas prices in the US — an average of $2.937 per gallon of regular gas. When it comes to states with the highest gas prices, Nevada is in fifth place with an average cost of $4.026 per gallon. With an average cost of $4.053 per gallon, Oregon has the fourth-highest gas prices in the US. Washington is the third-most expensive state to get gas at $4.316 per gallon on average.

The average cost of a gallon of gas in Hawaii is $4.696, making it the second-most expensive state.

California has the highest average gas prices in the US at $4.794 per gallon.

Read the original article on Business Insider