March doesn’t just mean the beginning of spring and the peak of college basketball madness. It is also the month when oil refineries begin transitioning from winter gasoline production to the legally required summer fuel blend. This blend produces lower levels of evaporative emissions during the warmer summer weather, but it also costs more to produce. That rise in production cost is, of course, passed on to consumers at the gas pump. However, this more eco-friendly gasoline blend is not the only reason your spring and summer road trips will cost more. Every gallon of fuel you purchase is also taxed, but gasoline tax rates can vary widely from state to state.
Gas taxes are not as simple as they may seem. It is certainly not one flat tax. Instead, gasoline taxes are a combination of excise taxes, operational taxes, fees imposed by wholesalers, and so forth. However, as complex as gas taxes may be, the end result is very straightforward: higher gas prices for American drivers. (And if you want to Marty McFly back in time, here is a look at the price of gasoline through the decades.)
Gas Taxes
Do you know how much you are paying in taxes each time you fill your tank?
Using information provided by The Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan tax policy nonprofit organization, 24/7 Wall St. compiled a list of the total taxes and fees charged per gallon of gasoline in all 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C.
The average tax per gallon of gas in the U.S. is just over 32.5¢. However, to illustrate just how disparate these taxes can be, the difference between the states with the lowest and highest gas tax rates is 68.95¢ per gallon!
Taxes, of course, are only part of determining the total price for a gallon of gas in any locality. But, while it won’t explain the total cost at the pump, consumers can use this list to see just how much of their gasoline budget goes to pay taxes each time they fill their tanks.
Here is the list of the per-gallon gas taxes in all U.S. states and the District of Columbia. The states are ranked from the lowest to the highest gas taxes.
51. Alaska
Alaska as the lowest gas tax in the U.S. by far.
Gas Tax: 8.95¢ per gallon
50. Missouri
Looking for the lowest gas tax in the Lower 48? Head to the Show-Me State.
Gas Tax: 17.47¢ per gallon
49. Mississippi
Mississippi has the lowest gas tax in the Deep South.
Gas Tax: 18.4¢ per gallon
48. Hawaii
While the cost of living can be quite high in Hawaii, the gas tax is remarkably low.
Gas Tax: 18.5¢ per gallon
46. (tied) Arizona
Temperatures in Arizona are hot, but the gas tax rate is rather cool.
Gas Tax: 19¢ per gallon
46. (tied) New Mexico
New Mexico’s gas tax is identical to Arizona’s, its neighbor to the west.
Gas Tax: 19¢ per gallon
45. Texas
It turns out that everything is NOT bigger in Texas. The state’s gas tax rate is rather small compared to the rest of the nation.
Gas Tax: 20¢ per gallon
44. Louisiana
The Louisiana Capitol stands tall, but the state’s gas tax doesn’t rise nearly as high.
Gas Tax: 20.93¢ per gallon
42. (tied) Delaware
Delaware’s gas tax is well below the national average.
Gas Tax: 23¢ per gallon
42. (tied) North Dakota
North Dakota is some 1,200 miles from Delaware, but the two states have the exact same gas tax rate.
Gas Tax: 23¢ per gallon
41. Nevada
You might lose a lot of money in Las Vegas, but it won’t be because of Nevada’s gas tax which is among the lowest in the nation.
Gas Tax: 23.81¢ per gallon
40. New Hampshire
New Hampshire has the lowest gas tax in New England.
Gas Tax: 23.83¢ per gallon
39. Colorado
The Rockies rise high but Colorado’s gas tax rate is rather low.
Gas Tax: 23.86¢ per gallon
38. Wyoming
Wyoming is the least-populous state in the U.S. and has a lower-than-average gas tax.
Gas Tax: 24¢ per gallon
37. Arkansas
Gas taxes won’t cost you a whole lot in Little Rock.
Gas Tax: 24.9¢ per gallon
36. Oklahoma
Oklahoma’s gas tax will cost you exactly one George Washington per gallon (the quarter, not the dollar bill!).
Gas Tax: 25¢ per gallon
35. Kansas
Kansans pay just over 25¢ a gallon in gasoline tax.
Gas Tax: 25.03¢ per gallon
34. Massachusetts
The cost of living in Boston is rather high, but Massachusetts’ gas tax is below the national average.
Gas Tax: 27.07¢ per gallon
33. Tennessee
Tennessee is home to the most visited National Park in the nation (shared with North Carolina), along with a pretty reasonable gas tax rate.
Gas Tax: 27.4¢ per gallon
32. Minnesota
Minnesota drivers pay a gas tax a little less than the national average.
Gas Tax: 28.6¢ per gallon
31. South Carolina
South Carolinians pay close to 29¢ per gallon in gas taxes.
Gas Tax: 28.75¢ per gallon
30. Nebraska
Nebraska drivers pay a middle-of-the-road gas tax rate compared with the rest of the country.
Gas Tax: 29.9¢ per gallon
28. (tied) Iowa
Iowans need three dimes to pay their per-gallon gasoline tax.
Gas Tax: 30¢ per gallon
28. (tied) South Dakota
South Dakota and Iowa share the same gas tax rate.
Gas Tax: 30¢ per gallon
27. Kentucky
The Ohio River separates Louisville, Kentucky from Indiana, but the gas taxes are far cheaper on the Kentucky side of that waterway.
Gas Tax: 30.1¢ per gallon
26. Alabama
Planning a trip to Gulf Shores this summer? Alabama’s gas tax is close to the national average.
Gas Tax: 31.2¢ per gallon
25. Maine
Maine is breathtaking, but its gas taxes are in the middle of the pack.
Gas Tax: 31.4¢ per gallon
24. Georgia
Georgia drivers pay a gas tax that is almost right at the national average.
Gas Tax: 31.95¢ per gallon
23. Wisconsin
Wisconsin is the first state whose gas tax rises above the national average.
Gas Tax: 32.9¢ per gallon
22. Idaho
Idahoans enjoy a ruggedly beautiful state, but higher than average gas taxes.
Gas Tax: 33¢ per gallon
21. Montana
Montana is the fourth-largest state in the nation, but you’ll pay higher gas taxes to drive through Big Sky Country.
Gas Tax: 33.75¢ per gallon
20. Washington, D.C.
It probably comes as no surprise that the gas tax in Washington, D.C. is higher than the national average.
Gas Tax: 33.8¢ per gallon
19. Vermont
Even when refineries switch away from the summer blend in the fall, Vermonters will still pay a higher-than-average gasoline tax.
Gas Tax: 34.52¢ per gallon
18. Rhode Island
Rhode Islanders will need a quarter and a dime to pay the tax on a gallon of gas.
Gas Tax: 35¢ per gallon
17. Utah
Utah’s scenery is amazing, but its gas tax rate is less lovely.
Gas Tax: 35.15¢ per gallon
16. Florida
Florida is the most-visited state in the nation. Visitors might be surprised by its higher gasoline tax than their home states, though.
Gas Tax: 35.23¢ per gallon
15. Connecticut
Connecticut has the highest gasoline tax rate in New England.
Gas Tax: 35.75¢ per gallon
14. Oregon
While Oregon’s gas tax is above the national average, it is still the cheapest among the three West Coast states.
Gas Tax: 36¢ per gallon
13. New York
Given the high cost of living in New York, it may surprise you to know that 12 states have a higher gas tax rate than The Empire State.
Gas Tax: 36.7¢ per gallon
12. West Virginia
West Virginia is one of the most beautiful states in the U.S., but it also features one of the higher gas taxes.
Gas Tax: 37.2¢ per gallon
11. Maryland
Maryland residents pay more than 37¢ in tax per gallon of gas.
Gas Tax: 37.3¢ per gallon
10. Ohio
Residents of the Buckeye State won’t enjoy knowing they are in the top ten for the highest gas tax rates.
Gas Tax: 38.5¢ per gallon
9. Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia has the ninth-highest rate for gasoline taxes in the U.S.
Gas Tax: 39.1¢ per gallon
8. North Carolina
North Carolina is the first state on the list to exceed 40¢ per gallon in gas taxes.
Gas Tax: 40.75¢ per gallon
7. New Jersey
New Jersey has the highest population density in the nation and the seventh-highest gasoline tax.
Gas Tax: 41.4¢ per gallon
6. Michigan
If you’re planning a trip to one of Michigan’s many beaches this summer, budget a little extra for the state’s high gasoline tax.
Gas Tax: 47.2¢ per gallon
5. Washington State
Washington State is in the top five for the highest gas tax in the U.S.
Gas Tax: 49.4¢ per gallon
4. Indiana
It may surprise you to learn that four of the top ten states with the highest gas taxes are in the Midwest, such as Indiana.
Gas Tax: 54.4¢ per gallon
3. Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania’s gas tax is well north of 60¢ per gallon.
Gas Tax: 62.2¢ per gallon
2. Illinois
Illinoisans pay a very high gas tax, but it’s not the highest in the nation.
Gas Tax: 66.5¢ per gallon
1. California
California has the highest gasoline tax in the U.S. and it’s not even close.
Gas Tax: 77.9¢ per gallon
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