These 25 States Have the Highest Gas Taxes
Gas prices are on everyone's mind who travels. A portion of the total price you see on the gas station sign board is state gas tax.
I looked at the newest gas tax numbers from the Tax Foundation, and the gap between states is big. These are state taxes per gallon as of July 2026.
California is first at 73.6 cents, followed by Illinois at 70.4 and Indiana at 63.1. Washington and Pennsylvania round out the top five at 60.2 and 58.7 cents.
25. Alabama 31 cents per gallon
24. Maine 31.45 cents per gallon
23. Utah 32.55 cents per gallon
22. Minnesota/Nebraska 32.70 cents per gallon
21. Wisconsin 32.90 cents per gallon
20. Idaho 33.00 cents per gallon
19. Montana 33.75 cents per gallon
18. Georgia 34.05 cents per gallon
17. Vermont 34.88 cents per gallon
16. West Virginia 35.70 cents per gallon
15. Ohio 38.50 cents per gallon
14. Oregon 40 cents per gallon
13. Florida 40.10 cents per gallon
12. Rhode Island 41.12 cents per gallon
11. North Carolina 41.25 cents per gallon
10. Virginia 42.40 cents per gallon
9. Maryland 46.81 cents per gallon
8. New Jersey 49.15 cents per gallon
7. Michigan 53.40 cents per gallon
6. Pennsylvania 58.70 cents per gallon
5. Washington 60.17 cents per gallon
4. Indiana 63.10 cents per gallon
3. Illinois 70.40 cents per gallon
1. California 73.64 cents per gallon
Massachusetts didn't make the list. We rank 31st at 27.6 cents, while New York ranks 39th at 24.2 cents.
Still, the gas tax is a hot topic here right now. Governor Maura Healey wants to suspend the state's 24-cent gas tax for two months. Her office estimates the cost at about $120 million, covered by surplus Fair Share revenue. She ties the price spike to the war in Iran, with the state average at about $4.40 a gallon, compared to $3.11 a year ago. Healey opposed a suspension in 2022, but says this is a different time.
These rankings only cover state taxes at the pump. They leave out some local taxes and environmental program costs, which push California's total to about $1.16 per gallon.
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Gallery Credit: Stacker
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