Labor Day weekend 2026 just set a pump record. As of September 4, 2026, AAA’s U.S. average for regular unleaded is about $4.15 per gallon — the first Labor Day weekend ever above $4. The prior holiday high was $3.82 on September 3, 2012.

That is not a one-week blip. In our Iran-conflict snapshot series, January sat near $3.06. Labor Day is still roughly $1.09 higher — about +36%. Off the May peak is not the same as cheap gas for a holiday drive.

Track the whole arc on Gas Prices Since Iran, or see every state on Gas Prices by State and the highest-to-lowest ranking.

Why this Labor Day is different

Usually Labor Day is when pump prices ease: summer driving demand fades and refineries shift toward heating oil. AAA’s September 3 note put it plainly — that seasonal drop did not show up this year because crude is still near $90 amid continued Strait of Hormuz volatility.

A year ago, the comparable national average was about $3.19. Today’s reading is roughly $1 higher than Labor Day 2025.

The 2026 timeline at the pump

  • January: ~$3.06 national (pre-escalation baseline in this series)
  • March 13 → 17: first violent stair-step as war risk hit crude and shipping
  • April 11: $4.14 — already past “temporary spike” territory
  • May 27: $4.46 — high print in this window (+46% vs January)
  • June 19 → July 19: cooled near $4.00
  • August 15: ~$4.07
  • September 4 (Labor Day weekend): ~$4.15 — record holiday average, still ~36% above January

From the May peak to now, national prices are down about 7%. From January to now, they are still up about 36%. Both can be true. Only one of them answers “are we back for the holiday?”

A typical 15-gallon fill-up that cost roughly $46 in January costs about $62 today — roughly $16 extra every time you stop.

Where it’s worst — and cheapest — this weekend

State averages (AAA regular, September 4) still span more than $2.30/gal:

  • Most expensive: California (~$5.81), Washington (~$5.48), Hawaii (~$5.42)
  • Cheapest: Indiana (~$3.45), Texas (~$3.69), Oklahoma (~$3.71)
  • Biggest climbs since January (percent): Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana are still up roughly 50%+ from winter

Even the “cheap” states are not back to January. Indiana’s softest percentage climb in our file is still about +17% vs winter.

What to watch next

Holiday demand usually rolls off after Labor Day. Whether the national average can break back below $4 for good depends less on barbecue traffic and more on whether Hormuz risk and $90 oil stay sticky. Diesel just set an all-time record at $5.85/gal — a freight and grocery channel that does not show up on the regular-unleaded sticker. See our new diesel prices by state ranking and diesel record explainer.

Sources: AAA Fuel Prices (national $4.1474 as of Sep 4, 2026; Labor Day record note Sep 3, 2026); Keep Up With Inflation state gas dataset (January → September 4 snapshots). Related: Gas is still nowhere near pre-Iran levels, Gas Prices Since Iran.