Washington sets all-time diesel price record in 2026 as Iran war and Climate Commitment Act push prices higher

Washington just set an all-time record for diesel prices, and the numbers are historic.

Overnight, the statewide average for diesel hit $6.53 a gallon according to AAA, surpassing every previous record in Washington history. Seattle is at $6.67. Tacoma is at $6.71. Both AAA and GasBuddy confirm the record.

To put that in perspective: the national average for diesel right now is $5.37 a gallon. The national all-time record is $5.82, set in 2022. Washington has now surpassed that national record, too. Only California, at $7.07, is paying more.

Unleaded is heading in the same direction. Washington’s statewide average is $5.30 a gallon, with King County at $5.51, according to AAA. The national average for unleaded is $3.98. Washington’s all-time records, set in June 2022, are $5.56 statewide and $5.69 in King County. Those records are now in sight.

California’s unleaded average is $5.83, keeping it at the top nationally. Washington is second, but second place here means prices that are among the highest ever recorded anywhere in the country. For Washington drivers, this is uncharted territory.

Washington v. Oregon gas prices in 2026: the Climate Commitment Act gap

Here’s where Washington’s Climate Commitment Act comes into focus. Oregon is right next door, dealing with the same Iran war, the same global oil disruption, the same everything. Oregon’s diesel average right now is $5.95 a gallon. Washington’s is $6.53. That’s a 58-cent gap on diesel alone. Oregon’s unleaded average is $4.87. Washington’s is $5.30. Another 43-cent gap.

Oregon’s all-time diesel record was $6.47, set in 2022. Washington just passed that, too.

Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy, noted online that Washington is one of only two states to set all-time diesel records so far, and pointed out it was “convenient” that both states have cap and trade or cap and invest programs that push high costs onto consumers.

Washington’s Climate Commitment Act is estimated to add 40 to 60 cents per gallon on top of the state’s existing fuel taxes. The math shows up pretty clearly when you compare the pump prices at the Oregon border.

The Iran war is hitting everyone. Washington gets hit twice.

The broader surge is driven by the war in Iran and the disruption to oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, which has taken roughly 20 million barrels of daily supply off the global market.

Every state is feeling that. Washington drivers are just starting from a higher baseline than almost anywhere else in the country, and the Climate Commitment Act is a significant part of why.

Washington farmers are facing a crisis

De Haan told “Seattle’s Morning News” on KIRO Newsradio that the diesel record isn’t just a problem for truckers and commuters. For Washington farmers, it’s potentially catastrophic.

“Farmers are seeing not only diesel prices skyrocket, but what they put on their fields, like fertilizer and seeds, can be at risk as well,” De Haan said. “We’re talking about a massive spiral here, and it’s hard to underestimate.”

Everything on a farm runs on diesel or is priced around it. Equipment, delivery, and fertilizer. And all of it is tangled up in what’s happening in the Strait of Hormuz right now.

“If the price of corn doesn’t go up enough to outweigh the rise in diesel and fertilizers used to produce it, it’s going to be extremely problematic,” De Haan said. “That could be the next domino to fall: farmers basically being forced to sell their fields at a loss because the soaring prices of fertilizer and diesel are not factored into the value of corn.”

For most of us, the impact shows up at the grocery store. For Eastern Washington farmers already operating on thin margins, it could mean something far worse.

“You and I just go to the store and buy it,” De Haan said. “But a farmer is seeing their costs go up dramatically and could potentially lose the farm.”

Charlie Harger is the host of “Seattle’s Morning News” on KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of his stories and commentaries here. Follow Charlie on X and email him here. 

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