What’s Behind Washington’s Recent Gas Price Spike?

I always gas up at the little Shell station off of Lewis Street in Pasco, and I've seen a noticeable jump in gas prices over the last week.

Filling Up Costs More Again in Washington

Washington usually has the highest prices for gas in the nation, but as we got closer to $3.30 a gallon, I was holding out hope that the prices were going to last for a while.

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Washington Gas Prices Surge: What Drivers Should Know

As you know, gas is supply and demand, and it goes up and down, but recently it made a jump that made me ask the question, why?

Washington’s average gas price hit about $4.33 per gallon on Feb. 23, 2026, after rising 17 cents in just one week, according to the AAA.

READ MORE: Do Gas Prices Have To Match The Advertised Prices?

Other recent reports show the state average is around $4.29, up nearly 50 cents in roughly a month.

So here we are jumping up again.

AAA-style tracking shows prices were about $3.85 a month earlier, confirming roughly a 45–50 cent jump.

It's not your imagination; gas prices are going up again.

Washington Drivers are paying about half a dollar more per gallon now than they were around December and January.

So why? Here are a few reasons why gas is going up:

Seasonal refinery shifts and supply tightening, market uncertainty, crude price swings, and Washington’s higher taxes and fuel standards are keeping prices elevated compared to most states.

There is a silver lining. It might surprise you to learn that over the full year, prices haven’t changed much.

Washington averages were about $4.04 in Feb. 2025 vs. about $4.06 in Feb. 2026

So it remains to be seen how much more Washington state gas prices will jump in the new year.