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Diesel Price & Trucking Cost Per Mile by State (2026)
Fuel is the single biggest variable cost in trucking. This page shows a modeled diesel-price estimate for every U.S. state and the fuel cost per mile it works out to for a typical truck — ranked, plus the latest official EIA regional prices, and recalculated live for your own MPG.
| # | State | Modeled diesel $/gal | Fuel cost / mile | vs U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $8.242 | $1.268 | +$1.97 |
| 2 | Hawaii | $8.24 | $1.268 | +$1.96 |
| 3 | Washington | $7.19 | $1.106 | +$0.91 |
| 4 | Indiana | $6.72 | $1.034 | +$0.44 |
| 5 | Illinois | $6.65 | $1.023 | +$0.37 |
| 6 | Idaho | $6.56 | $1.009 | +$0.28 |
| 7 | Michigan | $6.56 | $1.009 | +$0.28 |
| 8 | Ohio | $6.53 | $1.005 | +$0.25 |
| 9 | Oregon | $6.47 | $0.995 | +$0.19 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $6.44 | $0.991 | +$0.16 |
| 11 | North Dakota | $6.44 | $0.991 | +$0.16 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $6.43 | $0.989 | +$0.15 |
| 13 | Utah | $6.43 | $0.989 | +$0.15 |
| 14 | Wyoming | $6.39 | $0.983 | +$0.11 |
| 15 | Iowa | $6.38 | $0.982 | +$0.10 |
| 16 | Montana | $6.38 | $0.982 | +$0.10 |
| 17 | Nevada | $6.38 | $0.982 | +$0.10 |
| 18 | Colorado | $6.35 | $0.977 | +$0.07 |
| 19 | Tennessee | $6.32 | $0.972 | +$0.04 |
| 20 | South Dakota | $6.29 | $0.968 | +$0.01 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $6.29 | $0.968 | +$0.01 |
| 22 | New York | $6.27 | $0.965 | −$0.01 |
| 23 | Maine | $6.26 | $0.963 | −$0.02 |
| 24 | Nebraska | $6.25 | $0.962 | −$0.03 |
| 25 | Kansas | $6.19 | $0.952 | −$0.09 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $6.19 | $0.952 | −$0.09 |
| 27 | Missouri | $6.13 | $0.943 | −$0.15 |
| 28 | Connecticut | $6.12 | $0.942 | −$0.16 |
| 29 | Massachusetts | $6.12 | $0.942 | −$0.16 |
| 30 | New Mexico | $6.12 | $0.942 | −$0.16 |
| 31 | Vermont | $6.11 | $0.940 | −$0.17 |
| 32 | District of Columbia | $6.10 | $0.938 | −$0.18 |
| 33 | New Hampshire | $6.06 | $0.932 | −$0.22 |
| 34 | Rhode Island | $6.06 | $0.932 | −$0.22 |
| 35 | Alabama | $6.05 | $0.931 | −$0.23 |
| 36 | Arizona | $6.05 | $0.931 | −$0.23 |
| 37 | Maryland | $5.99 | $0.922 | −$0.29 |
| 38 | Delaware | $5.91 | $0.909 | −$0.37 |
| 39 | Alaska | $5.90 | $0.908 | −$0.38 |
| 40 | New Jersey | $5.88 | $0.905 | −$0.40 |
| 41 | Florida | $5.87 | $0.903 | −$0.41 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $5.86 | $0.902 | −$0.42 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $5.86 | $0.902 | −$0.42 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $5.82 | $0.895 | −$0.46 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $5.81 | $0.894 | −$0.47 |
| 46 | West Virginia | $5.80 | $0.892 | −$0.48 |
| 47 | Virginia | $5.78 | $0.889 | −$0.50 |
| 48 | Georgia | $5.76 | $0.886 | −$0.52 |
| 49 | Texas | $5.76 | $0.886 | −$0.52 |
| 50 | North Carolina | $5.69 | $0.875 | −$0.59 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $5.51 | $0.848 | −$0.77 |
Diesel prices by region (PADD) — EIA, week of October 19, 2026
The state figures above are estimates re-anchored to current regional levels. The U.S. EIA also publishes an authoritative weekly diesel average for the nation and its five regional PADD districts. Here is the latest release — with the change from the prior week and the fuel cost per mile it implies at 6.5 mpg:
| Region (PADD) | Avg diesel $/gal | Change vs prior week | Fuel cost / mile |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. average | $6.276 | +$0.097 | $0.966 |
| East Coast (PADD 1) | $5.984 | +$0.076 | $0.921 |
| Midwest (PADD 2) | $6.352 | +$0.093 | $0.977 |
| Gulf Coast (PADD 3) | $5.903 | +$0.094 | $0.908 |
| Rocky Mountain (PADD 4) | $6.422 | +$0.120 | $0.988 |
| West Coast (PADD 5) | $7.394 | +$0.154 | $1.138 |
| West Coast less California | $6.659 | +$0.156 | $1.024 |
| California | $8.242 | +$0.151 | $1.268 |
West Coast excluding California averages $6.659; California alone is $8.242 (+$0.151 on the week). Source: U.S. EIA Gasoline & Diesel Fuel Update, week of October 19, 2026; published October 20.
Diesel rose in the latest week. The national average rose 9.7¢ in one week to $6.276. Every PADD increased, with the West Coast up 15.4¢ and the Gulf Coast up 9.4¢. That one-week national move adds about $0.015/mile at 6.5 mpg, or about $1,492 a year over 100,000 miles. Turn a diesel price into a rate adjustment with the fuel surcharge calculator, and reconcile fuel tax across states with the IFTA calculator.
How to read this
Fuel cost per mile = diesel price ÷ your miles per gallon. At 6.5 mpg, a $0.30/gal swing between states is worth about $0.046/mile — on 100,000 miles a year that's $4,615. Where you fuel matters, but so does your truck: a reefer or a heavy flatbed load drops your MPG and pushes every number here up. Plug your real MPG above, then run a full all-in number (fuel + fixed + maintenance + your pay) in the cost-per-mile calculator. If you buy fuel on a discount network, the fuel card savings calculator shows what a few cents off per gallon is worth over a year.
Highest and lowest diesel states
Under this week's regional re-anchoring, the highest modeled prices are California (~$8.24), Hawaii (~$8.24), and Washington (~$7.19). The lowest modeled price is South Carolina (~$5.51), followed by North Carolina (~$5.69) and Texas (~$5.76). The modeled spread is about $2.73/gal, or $0.420/mile at 6.5 mpg. EIA's direct averages put the West Coast (PADD 5) highest at $7.394 and the Gulf Coast (PADD 3) lowest at $5.903 among the five main regions. These state rankings are estimates, not current state surveys.
Frequently asked questions
Which state has the cheapest diesel for truckers?
For the week of October 19, 2026, South Carolina is the lowest modeled state average (~$5.51/gal) after the state figures are re-anchored to EIA's current regional levels. Among the five main EIA regions, the direct average is lowest on the Gulf Coast (PADD 3) at $5.903/gal. Prices at individual stops will differ, so use this as route-planning context, not a pump quote.
How much does diesel price change my cost per mile?
Divide the pump price by your MPG. At 6.5 mpg, the $6.276 U.S. average equals $0.966/mile in fuel alone; $6.50 diesel equals $1.000/mile. Use the calculator above to see it for your truck.
Does the state I buy fuel in affect IFTA?
Yes — IFTA reconciles fuel tax by the miles you run in each jurisdiction, not just where you buy. Buying cheaper fuel still lowers your out-of-pocket cost, but your tax is settled by mileage per state. Run the numbers in the IFTA fuel-tax calculator.
Where is diesel cheapest and most expensive by region?
By EIA's latest weekly data (week of October 19, 2026), diesel is lowest among the five main regions on the Gulf Coast (PADD 3, $5.903) and highest on the West Coast (PADD 5, $7.394), pulled up by California at $8.242. The Midwest ($6.352) and East Coast ($5.984) sit near the U.S. average of $6.276.
Is diesel getting cheaper in 2026?
Not in this release: the U.S. on-highway average rose 9.7¢ in the past week to $6.276/gal for the week of October 19, 2026. EIA updates the national and regional averages weekly.
How do I turn a diesel price into a fuel surcharge?
A fuel surcharge is the diesel price above a set base (often about $1.20/gal) divided by an assumed MPG (often 6.0). At $6.276 diesel with a $1.20 base and 6.0 MPG, that's ($6.276−$1.20)/6 ≈ $0.85/mile. Our fuel surcharge calculator does it for your own base and MPG.
Methodology & sources
The regional table is direct EIA data (U.S. and PADD 1–5 on-highway diesel, week of October 19, 2026). EIA does not publish an all-state diesel-price table. The state figures therefore preserve the published September 7, 2026 modeled state-to-region offsets, originally based on AAA state differentials, and apply the change in each EIA PADD average through October 19; non-California western states use West Coast less California; California is pinned to EIA's direct California reading of $8.242. This refresh does not resurvey AAA state averages; the historical offsets may no longer match current differences between states. They are modeled planning estimates, not retail-station quotes. Fuel cost per mile is price ÷ MPG (default 6.5 mpg). Sources: AAA State Gas Price Averages, U.S. EIA Gasoline & Diesel Update. See the machine-readable market snapshot. Last updated October 20, 2026.
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