Gas prices are climbing again across New York, with the statewide average for regular gasoline reaching about $4.47 per gallon Friday as elevated crude oil prices continue to push costs higher at the pump.
The latest AAA data for New York put the statewide average at $4.474 per gallon on Sept. 18, up from $4.362 a week earlier and $4.130 a month ago. A year ago, regular gasoline averaged about $3.25 per gallon in the state.
New York’s average is now slightly above the national average, which stood at about $4.47 Friday.
AAA said this week that national pump prices have continued climbing as crude oil remains near $100 per barrel amid continued volatility in the Strait of Hormuz.
The national average for regular gasoline has risen by more than $1 per gallon compared with a year ago and is moving closer to the 2026 high of $4.56 set in May.
Finger Lakes drivers are also paying more
Prices across the Finger Lakes and Central New York remain somewhat below the statewide average, but they have risen noticeably over the past week.
The Rochester-area average reached about $4.40 per gallon Friday, up from roughly $4.30 a week earlier and $4.21 a month ago.
In Syracuse, regular gasoline averaged about $4.36 per gallon, compared with $4.24 a week earlier. Ithaca motorists were paying about $4.41, while the Elmira average stood near $4.38.
The statewide increases are even more pronounced when compared with last year. Rochester-area regular gasoline averaged about $3.23 per gallon at this point in 2025, while Syracuse was around $3.19 and Ithaca was about $3.27.
That means motorists in much of the region are paying more than $1 per gallon above year-ago levels.
Diesel is nearing record territory in some parts of New York
Diesel prices have also surged.
The statewide average for diesel reached about $6.42 per gallon Friday, compared with roughly $6.03 a week earlier and $5.62 a month ago.
In Rochester, diesel averaged about $6.26 per gallon, while Syracuse was near $6.24 and Ithaca was around $6.27.
Some western New York markets are already at or near record diesel prices. AAA listed diesel in the Buffalo-Niagara Falls area at about $6.26 per gallon Friday, matching the highest average AAA has recorded for that market.
The statewide record for diesel remains about $6.54 per gallon, set in May 2022.
Oil prices remain the biggest pressure
AAA said the latest increase in pump prices comes as crude oil remains elevated near $100 per barrel.
At the same time, U.S. gasoline demand increased from 8.55 million barrels per day to 8.79 million barrels per day last week, according to Energy Information Administration data cited by AAA.
Domestic gasoline inventories also increased slightly, while U.S. crude oil inventories declined by 600,000 barrels.
The combination of strong demand and elevated crude prices has kept pressure on retail gasoline prices even as domestic gasoline production increased.
New York prices remain below the records set during the 2022 energy price spike. The state’s highest recorded average for regular gasoline was about $5.04 per gallon on June 14, 2022.
But with the statewide average already approaching $4.50 and crude oil remaining elevated, drivers are once again seeing fuel costs move toward levels last experienced during the most expensive periods of the past several years.
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