U.S. diesel prices reached a national average of about $5.90 a gallon on September 6, according to AAA. The organization listed $5.897 as both its current average and its highest recorded diesel price. That is a national retail average, not the price charged at every station, and the record is not adjusted for inflation.
The $5.85 figure in Stat Crux Report’s original X post reflects the record reported on September 4. The Wall Street Journal reported that day that diesel had exceeded its previous peak of $5.8159, set in June 2022. AAA’s September 6 reading shows prices had risen further by the time of this article.
AAA’s latest figures put diesel about 29 cents above its week-earlier average of $5.60 and about $2.19 above its year-earlier average of $3.71. Regular gasoline, a separate fuel category, averaged about $4.15 on September 6; AAA still listed its gasoline record as roughly $5.02 in June 2022.
The increase comes amid the Iran war and disruption around the Strait of Hormuz. In its September 3 fuel-market update, AAA said volatility in the strait had pushed crude oil into the $90-per-barrel range and was keeping gasoline unusually expensive for Labor Day despite seasonally weaker demand.
Diesel’s rise also matters beyond drivers filling their own tanks. The Wall Street Journal noted that freight transport, construction and farming rely on the fuel, allowing higher costs to reach consumers through the prices businesses charge. That creates inflation pressure, though fuel costs do not translate into identical increases for every product.
