California Diesel Prices

California’s average diesel price, right up to the latest weekly EIA value. Short ranges show the weekly series; longer ranges step out to monthly. Toggle between the price at the pump and constant 2025 dollars.

Much of why California diesel runs so high mirrors why its gasoline does — the state’s high fuel taxes, its relatively isolated fuel market, and its environmental fuel programs — layered on top of the reasons diesel costs more than gasoline everywhere. We cover those in the explainers below; we don’t put California-diesel-specific dollar figures on each factor, because EIA doesn’t break the premium down that way.

What is the average price of diesel in California right now?

As of the week of October 5, 2026, California's average on-highway diesel price was $8.08 per gallon, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration data.

Why is California diesel so expensive?

California diesel is $1.88 above the U.S. average of $6.20, the highest of the weekly regional averages EIA publishes. The same structural forces that make California's gasoline the most expensive among the lower-48 states — the nation's highest fuel taxes, the state's relative refinery isolation, and its environmental fuel programs — also bear on diesel, on top of the reasons diesel costs more than gasoline everywhere (cleaner ultra-low-sulfur production, higher diesel excise taxes, and strong distillate demand).

How much more is California diesel than regular gas?

California diesel averaged $8.08 versus $6.23 for regular gasoline in the state — about $1.86 more, or roughly 30%.