September 10, 2026
Tork Mason/Imagn Images/USA Today via Reuters Connect
The average price for a gallon of regular gas in Philadelphia hit $4.50 on Thursday amid intensified conflicts in the Middle East, where pressure on oil supplies has spread from the Strait of Hormuz to another strategic waterway in the Red Sea.
The average price for a gallon of gas in Philly surpassed $4.50 this week, continuing an upward trend despite a typical dip after Labor Day.
Data from AAA shows Thursday's average price for a gallon of regular gas in Pennsylvania hit $4.45, up from $4.29 a week ago and $4.11 a month ago. In Philly, the average price was $4.33 last week and $4.11 a month ago. The suburban counties surrounding the city all hovered between an average of $4.47 and $4.49 on Thursday.
Last September, the average price for a gallon of gas was $3.37 in Pennsylvania and $3.33 in Philly, according to AAA.
The national average is now $4.27, up from $4.14 a week ago and $3.19 a year ago.
Nationally, gas prices have entered record territory for September as crude oil crossed $100 per barrel this week amid uncertainty in the Strait of Hormuz and alternative routes for oil exports. Crude oil prices ticked up Thursday as ongoing Middle East conflicts threatened to restrict oil transport through the Bab al-Mandab Strait that runs along the coast of Yemen in the Red Sea.
Houthi rebels backed by Iran advanced in their fight against Yemen's government Thursday, reaching the strategic port of Mocha in a move that may increase pressure on gas prices, the Washington Post reported. The Houthis also launched retaliatory attacks on oil and civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.
The latest developments could be another blow to President Donald Trump's poll numbers heading into November's midterm elections. Trump said Wednesday that he does not expect the war to wind down before then. A Focaldata/Financial Times poll over Labor Day weekend found only 32% of Americans approve the job the president is doing. The poll found a low of 72% approval of Trump among Republicans.
"I think (the) war is going to end immediately after the election because they can't hold out any longer," Trump told reporters. "They're desperate to try and affect the election."
New Jersey's average gas price hit $4.36 on Thursday. The hardest-hit states are on the West Coast, where California's average price reached $5.90 per gallon and Washington rose to $5.54. Nevada and Oregon both surpassed $5 per gallon.
The conflicts in the Middle East have taken U.S. gas prices to their highest levels since the early months of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022, when the national average for a gallon of regular gas hit $5.02 that June.
