This surprising US city is the most expensive to fill your car up with gas in

If you’ve ever wondered which US city was the most expensive for gas, we’ve got you covered.

A comprehensive list has landed – and there are some real surprises.

In fact, there are five cities that came as a real shock.

So avoid these US cities if you need to fill up your car.

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Which US city is the most expensive for gas?

The US car industry is in a bit of a transition phase right now.

Major car manufacturers appear to be shifting away from electrification as a major priority.

This means that, for drivers, gas prices are being thrown into the spotlight once more.

For ICE-powered and hybrid vehicles, the cost of gas continues to be the main concern.

So, which US city is the most expensive to fill your gas tank in?

Well, Autoblog recently came up with the top five cities across the US that make the list.

In order to make the list fair, several areas across the US were excluded.

This is because they are historically well-known forhaving higher gas prices, so you won’t see Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, or Honolulu featured.

With that being said, let’s have a look at the list.

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5. Flagstaff, Arizona

The state of Arizona is reliant on gas supplies from California.

This affects the city of Flagstaff, AZ, for two annoying reasons.

Firstly, when disruptions happen in California, they affect Arizona.

But Flagstaff is also far enough away from Phoenix and Tucson that transporting gas becomes a trek.

Since January 1, gas prices in Flagstaff have been up 6 percent to $3.18 per gallon

4. Portland, Oregon

Like Arizona, the Pacific Northwest feels ripple effects from California.

Portland, in particular, has experienced late January storms that have led to rising gas prices across this US city.

There is some good news for Portland, however.

Gas prices are up only 1.2 percent since January 1 and now average $3.41 per gallon. 

Typically, prices would have dipped much lower at this time of year, though.

3. Las Vegas, Nevada

Remember everything we just mentioned about reliance on California?

Well, Nevada is very much within that mix too – and that’s reflected in gas prices in the US city.

The difference with Nevada is that it has direct highway connections to California.

But the downside to this is that these extended networks that depend on California get the short end of the stick when prices grow and issues arise.

Gas pricing in the Las Vegas area is up 2.1 percent this year to an average of $3.42 per gallon.

But that is still down from $3.92 this time last year.

2. Seattle, Washington

Seattle is even farther from California than Portland is.

Yet it still experiences the same supply-and-demand issues as the others on the list.

Gas prices in Seattle are up 3.1 percent in 2026 and currently sit at $3.93 per gallon.

It might be a reprieve on this time last year, but prices around the $4 range is not what Seattle drivers will want to see.

1. San Luis Obispo, California – the most expensive US city for gas

It might not be the biggest shock that the US city with the highest gas prices is found in California.

And it’s San Luis Obispo that tops the list.

High per-gallon state taxes of 60 cents directly contribute to the high prices.

But so does San Luis Obispo’s location.

Whilst not overly remote, it is still a trek for truckers to transport gas.

Furthermore, the recent closure of gas refineries does not help.

California requires additional processing to provide low-emission gas at the pumps.

This all adds up to an increase of 4.5 percent to an average of $4.43 per gallon, although that’s still lower than the $4.85 per gallon it was this time last year.

But it still stings.

So there you have it – San Luis Obispo is the most expensive city to fill your tank in.