With electrification becoming less of a priority for automakers, most drivers’ attention has again turned to gas prices. Whether you drive an ICE vehicle or a hybrid, gas prices will continue to be an expense you have to live with. You might think gas prices are high where you live – and you might be right! – but we’ve found the five US cities and towns that have some of the worst gas prices around.
To be clear, we’re not simply listing the cities or small towns with the highest gas prices. That would be too easy; the information we’ve gathered and synthesized is from a mix of real-time market data, government economic reports, and broader industry analysis for early 2026. We examined which areas saw the largest increases in gas prices and looked at both year-over-year price changes and the increase in January 2026 alone.
Further, we’re excluding areas such as Los Angeles, California; San Francisco, California; and New York City, New York. Honolulu, Hawaii, is also off this list. So are Juneau and Anchorage in Alaska. These areas are known for high gas prices; we’re looking beyond that.
5. Flagstaff, AZ
Arizona and Nevada both rely on gas pipelines from California. When California experiences any disruptions – and it has, read on for more on that – Arizona feels the effects, too. Flagstaff is also just far enough away from cities like Tucson or Phoenix that it makes delivery of refined gasoline a trek…