America gets most of its oil from inside the United States and from a few key neighbors, mainly Canada and Mexico, plus smaller amounts from countries like Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Colombia.

Quick Scoop

  • The U.S. is currently one of the world’s top crude oil producers and has held the number‑one spot since 2018.
  • Oil comes from both:
    • Domestic production (many U.S. states, especially Texas and New Mexico)
* Imports (mostly from Canada and Mexico, with some from OPEC countries like Saudi Arabia and Iraq)
  • Most imported oil is from within the Western Hemisphere, with Canada as the dominant supplier.

Where does America get its oil?

1. From inside the U.S.

The U.S. produces a large share of the crude oil it uses, and since 2018 it has been the world’s largest crude oil producer. Oil is pumped from wells in 32 states and offshore areas. In 2022, about 72% of U.S. crude oil production came from just five big producers.

Key producing states and their approximate 2022 shares of U.S. crude output:

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Main U.S. source</th>
      <th>Role in U.S. oil supply</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Texas</td>
      <td>Largest producer, about 42–43% of U.S. crude oil in 2022.[web:3]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>New Mexico</td>
      <td>Second‑largest, around 13%.[web:3]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>North Dakota</td>
      <td>Major shale oil producer, nearly 9%.[web:3]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Colorado</td>
      <td>Mid‑size producer, about 4%.[web:3]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Alaska</td>
      <td>Important but smaller share, around 4%.[web:3]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Overall, around 60% of the crude oil running through U.S. refineries is extracted domestically.

2. From other countries (imports)

Even though the U.S. produces a lot, refineries still import crude oil because they need different types (heavy vs light, sour vs sweet) and some grades are cheaper to import than to produce or move within the U.S. Most of these imports come from America’s neighbors.

Top sources of total U.S. petroleum imports in 2022:

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Country</th>
      <th>Share of U.S. total petroleum imports (2022)</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Canada</td>
      <td>About 52% of total petroleum imports.[web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Mexico</td>
      <td>About 10%.[web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Saudi Arabia</td>
      <td>About 7%.[web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Iraq</td>
      <td>About 4%.[web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Colombia</td>
      <td>About 3%.[web:9]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Recent data show that in 2025 the U.S. imported over 80% of its oil from within the Western Hemisphere, with Canada by far the largest foreign supplier. Nearly 70% of imported crude alone comes from Canada and Mexico together.

3. How much is imports vs exports?

The U.S. both imports and exports oil and petroleum products at the same time. It might import heavy crude from Canada or the Middle East, then export gasoline, diesel, or lighter products to other countries. By 2020, total U.S. petroleum exports actually exceeded imports for the first time since the late 1940s.

That does not mean the U.S. stopped importing oil; it means that when you add up all crude and refined products, outbound volumes slightly surpass inbound volumes.

4. Why this is a trending topic now

In the last decade, U.S. shale production surged, cutting dependence on overseas oil and reducing the share coming from OPEC and especially the Middle East. In 2022, only about 12% of U.S. total petroleum imports came from Persian Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

Recent discussions in early 2026 often focus on energy security, price shocks, and geopolitics, but the overall trend is clear: the U.S. leans heavily on its own production plus Canada and Mexico, with much less reliance on the Middle East than in the 1970s–2000s.

In forum debates about “where does America get its oil,” the simplest answer is:
Mostly from itself and Canada, some from Mexico, and a shrinking slice from OPEC countries like Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

TL;DR: America gets most of its oil from domestic wells in states like Texas and New Mexico, plus big imports from Canada and Mexico, and smaller amounts from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and other countries.

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