In 2011, gas averaged $3.52 nationally — $5.04 in today’s money
regular, at the pump in 2011
inflation-adjusted (CPI-U)
The average U.S. price of a gallon of regular gasoline across 2011, shown both as it was at the pump and adjusted for inflation to constant 2025 dollars.
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 $3.96 the week of May 9, 2011; the low was $3.07 the week of January 3, 2011 — a swing of 29.2%.
2011 vs. the years on either side
2011 and the Arab Spring and the Libyan civil war
2011 coincided with the Arab Spring and the Libyan civil war. The U.S. weekly average for regular gasoline ran from a low of $3.07 (January 3, 2011) to a high of $3.96 (May 9, 2011). Adjusted for inflation, the year’s average of $5.04 ranks 2nd-highest in the 1970–2025 record, against the all-time adjusted peak of $5.08 in 2012.
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 regular 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 22.8% year over year ($4.10 → $5.04 in 2025 dollars).
- How high did gas prices get during 2011?
- The U.S. weekly average for regular gasoline peaked at $3.96 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 twelve monthly U.S. regular (all-formulations) retail prices; 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.