Salem drivers are paying $5.10 a gallon for regular unleaded gasoline, part of a statewide surge that makes Oregon the fourth most expensive state for fuel, according to AAA data reported Monday, Sept. 14.

AAA has never recorded a national average this high in September. The U.S. average stood at $4.31 a gallon. Only California ($6.00), Washington ($5.56) and Hawaii ($5.40) posted higher state averages than Oregon, OregonLive reported.

A separate GasBuddy survey of 1,307 Oregon stations, cited by the Polk County Itemizer-Observer, pegged the statewide average slightly lower at $5.06. That survey showed prices up 37.5 cents from a month ago and 82.9 cents from a year ago.

Diesel is climbing even faster. Oregon's average hit an all-time record of $6.55 a gallon on Sept. 12, according to Central Oregon Daily citing AAA. That was a jump of more than $1 in a single month. Oregon was among 35 states that set new diesel records that day.

Nationally, diesel averaged $6.23 a gallon as of Sept. 14, also a record. Before the U.S. and Israel launched their war against Iran in late February, the national diesel average sat at about $3.76, according to AAA.

The spike hits Salem-area residents beyond the pump. Fuel accounts for roughly 15% to 30% of the total cost of food, according to the Independent Grocers Alliance, as OPB reported. U.S. diesel inventories are projected to fall below 100 million barrels this month, the lowest since 2003, according to the Energy Information Administration's Short-Term Energy Outlook, as reported by Farm Progress.

The EIA noted that diesel demand rises in fall as harvest freight and home heating oil compete for supply.

Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, warned that relief is unlikely soon. "I suggest Americans anticipate a costlier holiday season, as it appears diesel prices could continue climbing as geopolitical tensions continue to remain a main factor," De Haan said, as reported by OregonLive on Sept. 14.

Crude oil is again trading above $100 a barrel, the first time since July 2026, according to AAA. U.S. refineries were already running at 98% capacity in early September, OPB reported.

Gov. Tina Kotek said on Aug. 25 that Oregon families continue to face rising prices driven by tariffs and the war in Iran. She made the remarks in a statement responding to Oregon's third-quarter revenue forecast.

The EIA forecasts retail diesel averaging $5.55 a gallon in the final quarter of 2026, a 14% increase from its prior estimate.