Diesel Price Today: Live Chart & Price History

Diesel is priced differently from gasoline, and the gap matters if you drive a truck, run a farm, or heat a building with it. The fuel carries a higher federal excise tax than gasoline, it is refined from the same barrel of crude as heating oil, and demand from freight and industry keeps it tied closely to the wider economy.

Every figure on this page is a weekly or monthly average from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) or AAA. Use them to judge whether your local price looks high or low.

The EIA publishes a retail diesel price every Monday, based on a survey of stations across the country, and then averages those weeks into a monthly figure. The weekly table above shows how quickly the national number can move. The week of Sep 21 set the highest weekly reading in this set, and the next week was lower.

The monthly view smooths out those swings and is easier to read when you want to see direction rather than a single week.

When you compare a monthly figure with a weekly one, remember they answer different questions. A monthly average blends in every week of that month, so it can sit well below the latest weekly price after a sharp rise.

Diesel is not one national price. The EIA splits the country into Petroleum Administration for Defense Districts, known as PADDs, and reports a separate average for each. The regional spread is large: the West Coast is far above the Gulf Coast and the Lower Atlantic in the same week.

Several things may explain the gap. The Gulf Coast is home to many refineries, so fuel there has a short trip to market. California requires its own cleaner-burning diesel formulation and charges higher state taxes and fees, which may put it above even the rest of the West Coast. The Midwest sits in the middle, with fuel moved by pipeline and rail from the Gulf.

No national average tells you what the station down the road charges. To find a local price:

• Use the AAA gas prices page, which lists state and metro averages for diesel alongside gasoline.
• Check the EIA regional table above to see whether your area usually runs above or below the U.S. figure.
• Compare truck stops with ordinary stations. Large truck stops often post lower diesel prices because they sell a high volume, but this varies by location.
• Look at the posted cash and card prices. Some stations charge one price for cash and another for credit.

Prices also differ within a single city. Stations near highways and airports commonly charge more than those a few miles away.

You may see two different "national average" figures on the same day. That happens. The EIA and AAA both measure retail diesel, but they use different methods and publish on different schedules.

The EIA figure is a weekly survey average published on Monday. AAA reports its own national average on a daily basis, so its number can move between EIA releases. Differences in which stations are sampled, and the day of the week each is taken, may also account for a gap of several cents.

How today's price compares with last month and last year

AAA also publishes reference points for the previous month and the previous year, which help put the current number in context.

The comparison to a year earlier is the most useful one. Diesel prices follow a seasonal pattern as well as the crude oil market, so measuring against the same time last year removes some of that seasonal effect.

Retail diesel is built from several layers, and each one can change on its own:

• Crude oil: The cost of crude is the largest single input. When benchmark crude rises, diesel usually follows within days to weeks.
• Refining margin: Refineries earn a spread between crude and the diesel they sell. That spread can widen when refinery capacity is tight or when diesel stocks are low.
• Distribution and marketing: Pipeline, truck, and terminal costs, plus the retailer's margin, add to the price at the pump.
• Taxes: Federal and state fuel taxes are included in the posted price, and state rates differ.
• Seasonal demand: Harvest, winter heating, and holiday freight can all pull on supply.

Because crude is the largest input, it helps to watch the oil market alongside the pump price. The EIA's Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update is the primary source for the weekly numbers used here.

A few habits can lower what you pay:

• Fill up at high-volume stations rather than the closest exit.
• Use a fuel card or loyalty program if you buy often. Fleet cards commonly offer a discount off the posted price.
• Keep tires inflated to the manufacturer's recommended pressure, since low pressure raises fuel use.
• Avoid long idling. A diesel engine burns fuel while parked.
• Ask your fleet or farm supplier about bulk delivery if you use large volumes, and compare it with pump prices.