The price of gasoline varies across the Mountain West with some drivers paying more than the national average.
The national average for a gallon of gas is $2.81, according to the price tracking app GasBuddy.
Drivers in Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico are paying close to the national average – or below. But drivers in Nevada and Arizona are seeing much higher prices at the pump.
Refineries in California are a main supplier of gas for the Southwest, but many are closing amid strict regulations, said Patrick deHaan, head of petroleum analysis with GasBuddy. A refinery in Southern California closed last Fall and another in Northern California is due to close in the Spring.
“With 20% of the gasoline production now offline because of these shutdowns, everyday, as a result of these refinery shutdowns prices will generally be slightly higher than they would otherwise be,” said deHaan.
The Governors of Arizona and Nevada sent a bipartisan letter to California lawmakers in 2024 urging them to “reconsider” regulations that lower supplies and drive up prices.
Both Nevada and Arizona are looking into options to become less dependent on refineries in California, said deHaan.
“Several pipeline operators have come up with proposals that would potentially help Nevada and Arizona to new sources of crude oil or new sources of refined products in areas like Texas and Oklahoma,” deHaan said. However, DeHaan continued, such a transition would be years in the making. Governor Joe Lombardo’s office in Nevada announced forming a committee to study diversifying supply routes for fuel.
Other states in the Mountain West, such as Wyoming and Idaho rely on different sources, including Canadian pipelines, which lowers costs for drivers.
See the USA National Gas Station Price Heat Map from Gas Buddy here.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Nevada Public Radio, Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Northern Colorado, KANW in New Mexico, Colorado Public Radio, KJZZ in Arizona and NPR, with additional support from affiliate newsrooms across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Eric and Wendy Schmidt.
