AAA reports gas prices up 10 cents in past week in NYS with diesel at record high

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 September 2026 at 8:02 am

The average price for a gallon of gas went up 7 cents nationally to $4.15 and 10 cents in New York State to $4.31 since last Monday, AAA reported today. A year ago the average price in the US was $3.19 a gallon while it was $3.26 in NYS.

“Labor Day 2026 brought the highest gas prices ever for the holiday with the national average price for a gallon of gasoline hitting $4.31,” AAA said today. “Until this year, the national average was never above $4 per gallon on Labor Day. The previous Labor Day record was $3.82, set on September 3, 2012. Continued volatility in the Strait of Hormuz has pushed crude oil prices up. This morning, oil prices range from $94 to $99 per barrel.”

Diesel prices also are at an all-time high, AAA said, with the national average is $5.90, up 30 cents from last week. Last year at this time, the national average price for diesel fuel was $3.70. The New York average for diesel fuel is $5.92, up 18 cents from last week, and up from $3.92 last year.

In Orleans County, the average price for regular unleaded gas went up 4 cents in the past week from $4.30 to $4.34.

Here are the average prices at counties around Western New York:

Orleans, $4.336
Genesee, $4.286
Monroe, $4.264
Niagara, $4.288
Erie, $4.284
Wyoming, $4.317
Livingston, $4.297
Chautauqua, $4.356
Cattaraugus, $4.201
Allegany, $4.334

The highest price in the state is in Manhattan at $4.736 while the highest price in upstate is in Hamilton County at $4.669. The lowest price in the state: Cayuga County at $4.190.