Paying at the pump has been less of a pain in your wallet lately, as prices continue to fall to some of the lowest levels in years.

According to AAA Idaho, the average price for a gallon was $2.44 in Coeur d'Alene. The average cost in the Gem State is $2.80, which is 32 cents lower than a month ago and 27 cents lower than a year ago. The national average is $2.82 per gallon, down a quarter from the same time last year.

Coeur d’Alene resident Bob Applegate said he doesn’t drive much, but the dipping numbers on gas station signs made him take notice. He filled up Wednesday for $2.35 a gallon at a station on Seltice Way.

“I was just looking at that number on the way to a medical appointment and I thought about taking a picture to send to someone I know in Seattle,” Applegate said. 

One Coeur d'Alene station this week was offering a gallon of gas at $2.18. Prices were falling weekly and, in some cases, daily.

Bill Thomas works for Kralevich Trucking in Coeur d'Alene. He said gas prices over the 15 or so years he’s been driving across the country are often tied to politics.   

“It fluctuates. Going across the United States, it gets a little cheaper going east,” Thomas said. “It depends on the state that we’re in. Idaho’s not so bad, Washington’s kind of high, Oregon is kind of crappy.” 

Thomas said Kralevich Trucking has 10 staff members and routes that go “from one end to the other” to California, Florida, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Wisconsin. 

According to GasBuddy, the cost of diesel is on track to average $3.55 per gallon this year, following a similar trajectory to gasoline.

“It starts picking up in the spring and then through holidays, it goes up quite a bit,” Thomas said.  

Gasbuddy projects the 2026 national average to be $2.97 per gallon. That figure decreased from $3.10 last year, marking the fourth straight year of a dip in overall gas prices.

Thomas said he notices that each year after Thanksgiving, he starts seeing prices lower. After Christmas, they dip even more. 

“Everything helps, so when fuel goes down, it puts more money in your pocket,” he said.  

Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, believes early numbers indicate the momentum behind lowering gas prices should continue in 2026. 

“It’s not a return to ultra-cheap fuel, but for the first time in a long time, the wind is clearly behind drivers’ backs," he said. "If the market avoids major surprises, sustained averages below $3 per gallon could become commonplace in the year ahead."

Here’s a snapshot of current Idaho gas prices according to AAA: Boise, $2.81; Franklin, $2.59; Idaho Falls, $2.80; Lewiston, $2.73; and Twin Falls, $2.98.

    Bill Thomas of Kralevich Trucking.
  

    Gas prices at a Chevron convenience store in downtown Coeur d'Alene.