Gas Prices, Explained
Short, sourced explainers on what’s moving the price at the pump. The price data is ours — built on official EIA figures going back to 1970. Where an article reaches beyond the numbers into why prices are moving, the reasons are attributed to named sources.
- Gas prices · Seasonality
Why do gas prices rise every summer? (Summer vs winter gas blends)
In our weekly data since 2000, the national average has risen from a winter low into a spring/summer peak in 25 of 26 years. Here's the seasonal pattern our prices show — and the well-documented reasons, from summer-blend fuel rules to refinery maintenance and driving-season demand.
- Gas prices · Refining
What is a crack spread? (And why it affects gas prices)
It's the term that keeps coming up in fuel-price news — the gap between crude oil and the fuels refined from it, and a window into refining margins. Here's what it means, in plain language, with the EIA as the guide.
- Gas prices · Diesel
Why does diesel cost more than gasoline?
Diesel now runs about a dollar a gallon above regular gas — but it was the cheaper fuel until the mid-2000s. Here's what our data shows about the flip, and the well-documented reasons behind the premium.
- Gas prices · Politics
Does the President control gas prices?
Prices have risen and fallen under presidents of both parties since 1970. Here's what our data shows across administrations — and what non-partisan sources say a president can and can't actually do.
- Gas prices · California
Why is California's gas so expensive?
California's pump price has run above the U.S. average in all but a handful of weeks since 2000. Here's what our data shows about that gap — and the well-documented reasons behind it.
- Gas prices · 2026
Why are gas prices rising in 2026?
U.S. gas climbed from $2.81 in January to $4.48 by May 2026. Here is what the price data shows — and what reputable reporting says is driving the jump.