Gas Prices in 2011
inflation-adjusted (CPI-U)
In 2011, regular gasoline averaged $3.52 a gallon across the U.S., which is $5.04 in 2025 dollars after inflation.
How 2011 ranks in the 1970–2025 record
The 2nd-most-expensive year on record — the 55th-cheapest of 56 years.
The 3rd-highest pump price on record — before adjusting for inflation.
How U.S. prices moved through 2011
Weekly U.S. average for regular gasoline. The year’s high was $3.97 the week of May 9, 2011; the low was $3.07 the week of January 3, 2011 — a swing of 29.2%.
| Month | At the pump | In 2025 $ | Weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2011 | $3.09 | $4.51 | 5 |
| Feb 2011 | $3.21 | $4.66 | 4 |
| Mar 2011 | $3.56 | $5.14 | 4 |
| Apr 2011 | $3.80 | $5.46 | 4 |
| May 2011 | $3.91 | $5.60 | 5 |
| Jun 2011 | $3.68 | $5.27 | 4 |
| Jul 2011 | $3.65 | $5.22 | 4 |
| Aug 2011 | $3.64 | $5.19 | 5 |
| Sep 2011 | $3.61 | $5.13 | 4 |
| Oct 2011 | $3.45 | $4.90 | 5 |
| Nov 2011 | $3.38 | $4.80 | 4 |
| Dec 2011 | $3.27 | $4.63 | 4 |
2011 vs. the years on either side
State gas prices in 2011
EIA weekly prices for 2011 are available for these states. Each link opens that state’s price history at 2011.
2011: the Libyan disruption and $100 crude oil
Gasoline averaged $3.52 in 2011, 73.9¢ above 2010 and 22.7% higher after inflation, at the time the highest annual average in unadjusted dollars. The EIA attributed the increase mostly to crude oil: Brent crude averaged more than $100 a barrel for the first time.
The largest move came early. Civil unrest in Libya began in mid-February, and the EIA estimated that the country’s oil output fell by 60 to 90 percent. Libya’s light, sweet crude is valued by refiners, which made the loss more significant than its share of world supply suggested. In the week of February 28, the national average rose 19.4¢, the year’s largest weekly increase. Prices kept rising to $3.97 in the week of May 9, the year’s high.
In June, member countries of the International Energy Agency agreed to release emergency oil stocks, and prices eased over the second half. The monthly average fell from $3.91 in May to $3.27 in December. The year’s low was its first week, $3.07 on January 3. Adjusted for inflation, 2011 is the 2nd-most expensive year in the site’s 1970–2025 record, behind only 2012.
Sources: prices and high/low weeks are EIA weekly retail data (regular, all formulations) from our database; other facts are from the sources listed here.
U.S. gas prices in 2011, answered
- What was the average price of gas in 2011?
- The U.S. average price of regular gasoline in 2011 was $3.52 per gallon — about $5.04 in 2025 dollars after adjusting for inflation, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration data.
- How does 2011 rank for gas prices in U.S. history?
- Adjusted for inflation, 2011 was the 2nd-most-expensive year for gasoline out of the 56 years on record (1970–2025). In raw at-the-pump dollars it ranks 3rd.
- Were gas prices higher in 2011 than in 2010?
- Adjusted for inflation, regular gasoline was more expensive in 2011 than in 2010, up 22.7% year over year ($4.11 → $5.04 in 2025 dollars).
- How high did gas prices get during 2011?
- The U.S. weekly average for regular gasoline peaked at $3.97 the week of May 9, 2011 and bottomed at $3.07 the week of January 3, 2011 during 2011.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration. 2011 is the average of EIA’s weekly U.S. regular (all-formulations) retail prices, the method behind EIA’s published annual figure; the weekly figures above are EIA’s weekly U.S. retail series. Inflation adjustment uses the BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U), constant 2025 dollars. How the figures are built.
More about 2011
Use this data
Download: U.S. national gas prices by year, 1970–present (CSV) · Weekly U.S. national gas prices, 2000–present (CSV).
Column definitions, coverage and every file: gas price data. Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with credit.
Cite as: US Gas Gauge, “Gas Prices in 2011,” usgasgauge.com/gas-prices/history/2011. Source data: U.S. Energy Information Administration.