MOSES LAKE — Gasoline prices across Washington have eased significantly since reaching their highest levels of 2026 in late spring, though drivers in the Evergreen State continue to pay about a dollar more per gallon than the national average. 

According to weekly fuel price data, the statewide average climbed from $3.84 per gallon at the beginning of January to a peak of $5.76 to $5.78 per gallon during May before beginning a steady decline through June and July. Washington's average price stood at $5.11 per gallon July 27, down from $5.71 on June 1 but still well above the national average of $4.11. 

The state's monthly average rose from $3.83 in January to $4.11 in February and $4.90 in March before accelerating sharply in April and May. Washington averaged $5.41 per gallon in April and $5.74 per gallon in May, the highest monthly average recorded this year. 

In Central Washington, fuel prices followed a similar pattern but remained below the statewide average. Grant County gasoline prices increased from $3.79 per gallon in early January to a high of $5.60 in mid-to-late May before easing to $5.00 by July 27. Adams County followed a nearly identical trajectory, rising from $3.85 per gallon in January to $5.51 in May before settling at $5.03 in late July. 

The sharp rise during the spring reflected a broad increase in fuel costs nationwide, although Washington's increases outpaced the national trend. While the national average rose from $2.83 per gallon in January to $4.52 in May, Washington drivers saw prices increase by nearly $2 per gallon during the same period. 

The largest monthly jump occurred between February and March, when Washington's average price increased from $4.11 to $4.90. Prices continued climbing through April and May as refiners transitioned to summer-blend gasoline, and seasonal demand increased heading into the warmer months. 

By June, however, signs of relief began to emerge. Weekly statewide averages fell from $5.71 on June 1 to $5.19 by June 29, a decline of more than 50 cents per gallon in four weeks. The downward trend continued into July, when prices fluctuated near the $5 mark. 

Despite the decline, Washington still maintained one of the highest gasoline averages in the nation throughout the year. On July 27, the gap between the state's average price and the national average stood at exactly $1 per gallon. 

GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan recently attributed rising fuel prices nationally to geopolitical tensions affecting oil markets. 

"Average gasoline and diesel prices rose in nearly every state over the last week, as continued escalations between the U.S. and Iran, renewed Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, and fresh Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries combined to keep upward pressure on both crude and refined product markets," De Haan said. 

He noted that easing tensions in recent days have helped moderate oil prices, potentially slowing additional increases at the pump. 

For motorists in Grant and Adams counties, the summer decline has offered some relief after spring's rapid run-up. However, local prices remain roughly a dollar higher than they were at the beginning of the year and continue to exceed national averages by nearly 90 cents per gallon.