The highest U.S. national average gas price ever recorded was about $5.02 per gallon for regular gasoline, reached on June 14, 2022.

Quick Scoop

  • Peak national average price (regular gas, U.S.): $5.02 per gallon on June 14, 2022.
  • Previous major record: around $4.11 per gallon in July 2008, which was often cited as the record before 2022.
  • Why 2022 spiked: a mix of post‑pandemic demand, supply constraints, and the Russia–Ukraine war disrupting global oil markets.
  • Recent context: as of early 2026, prices are well below that record; for example, around $3.26 per gallon was noted recently as a “high under Trump” but still far from the 2022 peak.

A quick mini‑story

Imagine a driver who thought 2008’s prices were the worst they’d ever see. For more than a decade, that summer’s roughly $4.11 per gallon stood out as the painful high‑water mark. Then 2022 arrived: global supply shocks, war, and surging demand pushed the national average to a new all‑time high of about $5.02 per gallon, turning old complaints about “expensive gas” into almost nostalgic memories.

Tiny FAQ

  1. Is $5.02 the most anyone ever paid?
    No—some individual stations and locations (especially parts of California) charged well over $6–$7, but $5.02 is the key nationwide average record.
  1. Was gas ever higher if you adjust for inflation?
    In the early 1980s, inflation‑adjusted prices were high, but by the common measure of the nominal national average, June 14, 2022 still holds the crown.

TL;DR: If you’re asking “what was the highest gas price ever?” in terms of U.S. national average at the pump, the answer is about $5.02 per gallon on June 14, 2022.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.