RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TN (WGNS) — Tennessee drivers received another reminder this week that the gas pump remains one of the most reliable ways to experience emotional distress in under five minutes. According to new data, Tennessee gas prices jumped another 31 cents on average over the past week, bringing the statewide average to $3.34 per gallon. That price is 82 cents higher than just one month ago and 63 cents more than this time last year, proving once again that the concept of “temporary price increases” is doing a lot of heavy lifting.
Drivers across the country are watching fuel prices bounce around like a rollercoaster — except the ride only seems to go up, and there’s no souvenir photo to prove you survived it. According to AAA, the Auto Club, despite the spike, Tennessee still sits at No. 9 on the national list for the cheapest gas, though calling it a “race” might be generous. At this point it’s more like a slow crawl where everyone is tired and nobody really wants to win.
MIDDLE AMERICA PRICES: Kansas currently holds the title for the cheapest gas in the country at $3.14 per gallon, followed by North Dakota at $3.20 and Oklahoma at $3.22. Tennessee’s $3.34 average keeps it near the top of the “least painful” category, if such a thing exists when you’re handing over money at the pump.
WEST COAST GAS PRICES: On the opposite end of the map — and the emotional spectrum — sits California, where regular unleaded is averaging a tear-inducing $5.52 per gallon. Premium fuel in the Golden State has climbed to an eye-watering $5.94 per gallon.
Meanwhile, Tennessee drivers who insist on premium-grade gasoline are paying a slightly less shocking $4.19 per gallon.
Hawaii holds the second-highest regular fuel price in the country at $4.95 per gallon, with premium gas there reaching $5.33 per gallon.
AAA spokesperson Megan Cooper says global factors are continuing to push prices upward. "Continued uncertainty and volatility in the crude oil market are putting upward pressure on our local gas prices," said Cooper. "If crude oil prices remain elevated again this week, it's likely drivers are in for more increases at the pump. How high prices will rise will ultimately depend on how long the conflict with Iran continues and whether there are futher effects on global fuel supplies."
RUTHERFORD COUNTY GAS and NEARBY AREAS: Closer to home, fuel prices across Middle Tennessee are offering drivers a slightly different experience depending on where they fill up. In Rutherford County, regular unleaded is averaging about $3.32 per gallon, which qualifies as “good news” in today’s fuel economy. Drivers willing to venture south into Bedford County can save a whopping three cents per gallon, bringing prices down to about $3.29. Heading east of Murfreesboro into Cannon County, however, the cost of mobility climbs, with 87-octane averaging around $3.45 per gallon. To the north, Wilson County drivers are seeing prices near $3.29, while nearby Nashville motorists are paying about $3.32.
HIGHEST GAS PRICES in TENNESSEE AREA: Over in the Brentwood and Franklin areas of Williamson County, prices are averaging $3.52 per gallon, which — surprisingly — is not the highest in Tennessee for the first time in about two years. That distinction currently belongs to Clay County, northeast of Rutherford County, where regular unleaded is averaging $3.54 per gallon. The county’s largest city, Celina, has roughly 1,500 residents, all of whom presumably wish gasoline were cheaper.
Nationally, gas prices are climbing as spring break travel ramps up, pushing the average price up nearly 25 cents in the past week.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, gasoline demand increased from 8.29 million barrels per day to 9.24 million, while total domestic gasoline supplies fell from 253.1 million barrels to 249.5 million barrels.
Crude oil prices have repeatedly climbed above $100 per barrel, which tends to translate directly into higher prices for drivers.
In response, the United States announced plans to release 172 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve over four months, part of a broader International Energy Agency effort to release 400 million barrels globally, the largest emergency release in history.
DIESEL PRICES: And for drivers who thought diesel might offer a break — unfortunately, it does not.
Diesel fuel in Tennessee is currently averaging $4.92 per gallon, placing the state 25th in the nation, squarely in the middle of the national ranking.
Oklahoma currently has the cheapest diesel at $4.27 per gallon, while West Coast drivers are paying significantly more, with diesel averaging $6.43 per gallon in California.
Washington State follows at $6.01, and Hawaii rounds out the top three most expensive diesel markets at $5.88 per gallon.
For Tennessee drivers, the takeaway is simple: prices could always be worse — but they could also be a lot better.
Until then, motorists across the Volunteer State will continue doing what drivers everywhere are doing: standing at the pump, staring at the numbers, and quietly reconsidering every unnecessary trip they’ve ever planned.
Highest Priced Fuel in Recent History: To date, diesel reached its highest price in Tennessee on June 15, 2022, when it climbed to $5.64 per gallon. Regular unleaded gasoline reached $4.64 per gallon on the same date. During that same month in 2022, regular unleaded gasoline in California climbed to $6.43 per gallon, while diesel rose to $7.01 per gallon.
