Sunita Somvanshi
Texas drivers paid more for gasoline in September 2026 than in any September on record, according to AAA Texas data. The statewide average reached $3.94, exceeding the previous September record of $3.63 set in 2012. AAA attributed the high prices chiefly to elevated global crude oil costs, including market disruption tied to the Iran conflict and volatility around the Strait of Hormuz.
AAA Texas tracks pump prices across the state weekly. Its September 2026 figures show the monthly average set a nominal record for the month. The US Energy Information Administration’s data for the Gulf Coast refining region — PADD 3 — showed utilization running at approximately 95.9% to 98.3% during the period, meaning refinery operations were near-normal. The primary driver of elevated prices was crude oil costs rather than supply constraints at the refinery level.
Adjust your weekly fuel budget through at least mid-October. The seasonal transition from summer-blend to winter-blend gasoline occurs across September and October. Winter-blend fuel is generally cheaper to produce, and once refineries complete the transition and crude-oil market pressures ease, pump prices typically decline. Drivers can partially offset current prices by refueling away from interstate highway corridors, where prices tend to run higher, and by using supermarket fuel loyalty programs.
Although September 2026 set a nominal price record for the month, inflation-adjusted pump prices remain below the peaks Texas drivers experienced during 2008 and the 2022 energy price spike. The record is real but should be read against the broader price history.
Related reporting and primary sources: fuel-market context; shipping-risk and pump-cost context; EIA energy pricing data.
