Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD)
Daily Retail Survey
• Daily retail average (October 1, 2026) Diesel Price Today
Track national and state-level averages for highway diesel fuel across the United States. Updated daily from retail fuel surveys.
U.S. National Average
Daily Retail Survey
Highway Diesel Fuel
$6.39 per gallon
-$0.12 (-1.9%)
vs last week
Survey Period: October 1, 2026 EPA Spec: 15 ppm maximum sulfur
Fuel Price Spread
Diesel vs Regular Gasoline
Diesel Average: $6.39
Regular Gas Average: $4.41
Diesel Premium:
+$1.98 / gal
Federal fuel tax is 24.4¢/gal on diesel vs 18.4¢/gal on gasoline.
Diesel Prices by State
Average retail highway diesel prices across all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
| Rank | State | Diesel Price | Regular Gas | Diesel Spread | Updated | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas TX | $5.80 | $3.94 | +$1.86 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #2 | Oklahoma OK | $5.87 | $4.05 | +$1.82 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #3 | Louisiana LA | $5.90 | $3.97 | +$1.92 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #4 | South Carolina SC | $5.94 | $4.00 | +$1.95 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #5 | Florida FL | $5.95 | $4.20 | +$1.76 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #6 | Mississippi MS | $5.96 | $3.97 | +$1.99 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #7 | Georgia GA | $5.99 | $3.96 | +$2.03 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #8 | Arkansas AR | $6.03 | $4.00 | +$2.03 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #9 | Alabama AL | $6.03 | $4.03 | +$2.00 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #10 | Colorado CO | $6.04 | $4.08 | +$1.96 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #11 | South Dakota SD | $6.05 | $4.25 | +$1.79 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #12 | Nebraska NE | $6.07 | $4.30 | +$1.77 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #13 | North Carolina NC | $6.08 | $4.07 | +$2.01 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #14 | Tennessee TN | $6.09 | $3.98 | +$2.11 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #15 | Kansas KS | $6.10 | $4.10 | +$2.00 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #16 | Iowa IA | $6.11 | $4.20 | +$1.91 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #17 | North Dakota ND | $6.11 | $4.20 | +$1.90 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #18 | New Mexico NM | $6.11 | $4.42 | +$1.69 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #19 | Missouri MO | $6.15 | $4.09 | +$2.06 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #20 | Wyoming WY | $6.22 | $4.50 | +$1.72 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #21 | Minnesota MN | $6.23 | $4.26 | +$1.97 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #22 | Montana MT | $6.24 | $4.55 | +$1.68 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #23 | Kentucky KY | $6.24 | $4.05 | +$2.19 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #24 | Virginia VA | $6.30 | $4.17 | +$2.13 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #25 | Arizona AZ | $6.31 | $4.78 | +$1.54 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #26 | Rhode Island RI | $6.32 | $4.35 | +$1.98 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #27 | Massachusetts MA | $6.36 | $4.36 | +$2.00 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #28 | New Jersey NJ | $6.38 | $4.33 | +$2.05 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #29 | New Hampshire NH | $6.38 | $4.34 | +$2.04 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #30 | Wisconsin WI | $6.40 | $4.21 | +$2.18 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #31 | Vermont VT | $6.42 | $4.44 | +$1.98 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #32 | Delaware DE | $6.43 | $4.32 | +$2.11 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #33 | Maryland MD | $6.44 | $4.30 | +$2.14 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #34 | West Virginia WV | $6.45 | $4.33 | +$2.13 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #35 | Connecticut CT | $6.47 | $4.47 | +$2.00 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #36 | Maine ME | $6.48 | $4.41 | +$2.07 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #37 | District of Columbia DC | $6.49 | $4.46 | +$2.03 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #38 | Utah UT | $6.52 | $4.98 | +$1.54 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #39 | New York NY | $6.52 | $4.48 | +$2.04 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #40 | Idaho ID | $6.56 | $4.98 | +$1.58 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #41 | Pennsylvania PA | $6.57 | $4.51 | +$2.06 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #42 | Alaska AK | $6.60 | $5.03 | +$1.57 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #43 | Ohio OH | $6.66 | $4.20 | +$2.46 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #44 | Michigan MI | $6.68 | $4.53 | +$2.15 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #45 | Illinois IL | $6.74 | $4.72 | +$2.02 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #46 | Nevada NV | $6.79 | $5.50 | +$1.29 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #47 | Indiana IN | $6.82 | $3.81 | +$3.01 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #48 | Oregon OR | $6.83 | $5.05 | +$1.78 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #49 | Hawaii HI | $7.21 | $5.62 | +$1.59 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #50 | Washington WA | $7.39 | $5.50 | +$1.89 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
| #51 | California CA | $8.38 | $6.40 | +$1.98 | October 1, 2026 | State Page → |
Why Does Diesel Typically Cost More Than Gasoline?
Historically, diesel was often priced lower than gasoline. However, over the past two decades, several structural market dynamics have inverted this relationship:
- Higher Federal Excise Tax: The federal tax on highway diesel is 24.4 cents per gallon, compared to 18.4 cents per gallon for regular gasoline.
- Seasonal Competition with Heating Oil: Diesel fuel is chemically identical to heating oil (middle distillates). During autumn and winter months, cold-weather home heating demand competes directly with transportation supplies.
- Ultra-Low Sulfur Standards (ULSD): Environmental regulations require diesel fuel sold for highway use to contain less than 15 parts per million (ppm) of sulfur, demanding specialized hydrotreating units at refineries.
- Global Commercial Freight Demand: Freight shipping, intermodal rail, agricultural machinery, and heavy construction equipment worldwide rely almost exclusively on diesel fuel, creating resilient global consumption.
Commercial Fuel Comparison: Diesel vs. Gasoline vs. Cost of Propane Gas Per Gallon
Fleet operators, agricultural businesses, and transport managers frequently evaluate the national gas price today, diesel rates, and the cost of propane gas per gallon (Autogas LPG) to optimize operational expenditures:
Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel
$6.39
~138,500 BTU/gal • Highest energy output Regular Gasoline
$4.41
~125,000 BTU/gal • Light vehicle standard Propane Gas (LPG)
$2.67
~91,500 BTU/gal • 1.34 gal/GGE energy ratio While propane carries a lower per-gallon purchase price, its lower energy density (73% of gasoline) means fleet vehicles require more gallons per mile. However, lower maintenance overhead and commercial alternative fuel tax credits often offset volumetric differences for municipal and delivery fleets.