The US average price of a gallon of diesel was $6.3172 on Friday, against $3.6315 at this point a year ago, according to AAA.
By the numbers: Diesel averaged $6.3172 a gallon on October 23, up from $6.3090 the day before, down from $6.3261 a week earlier and down from $6.5217 a month ago.
- Regular gasoline averaged $4.2926 on the same day, against $3.0713 a year ago.
The big picture: AAA's all-time high for diesel is $6.5276, set on September 22, 2026, a month before Friday's reading. The record for regular unleaded is older, at $5.0165 on June 14, 2022.
- Mid-grade gasoline averaged $4.8102 and premium $5.2009, against $3.5772 and $3.9358 a year ago. E85 averaged $3.3394, up from $2.4728.
Zoom in: The year-over-year gap is the part that shows up in a budget. Gasoline is $1.22 a gallon above last October, while diesel is $2.69 a gallon above it.
Yes, but: Both fuels have eased over the past month. Diesel is 20 cents off its September peak and regular gasoline is 18 cents below where it stood four weeks ago.
Why it matters: Diesel moves freight. Trucks, trains and delivery vans run on it, so the price passes into grocery, retail and shipping costs well before it turns up in a household fuel bill.
What's next: AAA updates its national averages daily, so the number to watch is whether diesel climbs back toward the $6.5276 record while crude trades near six-month highs.
