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Gas prices back up above $4 locally, nationally
Stacy Wescoe//July 21, 2026//
Gas prices are back up above $4 a gallon again.
The average price for a gallon of gas in Pennsylvania is 23 cents higher this week at $4.193, according to AAA East Central’s most recent Gas Price Report.
In the Lehigh Valley, the average price for a gallon of gas reached $4.133
on July 20. That’s up from $3.880 the week prior and is significantly higher than it was one year ago when the average price was $3.044
Nationally, the average for a gallon of regular gasoline has gone up 13 cents over the past week and is now at $4 per gallon.
AAA said that instability along the Strait of Hormuz is contributing to the increase at the pump and pushing crude oil prices over $80 per barrel.
The average remained in the $4 range all of April and May and most of June. Last time the national average was $4 or above was on June 17 when it was $4.02.
Today’s national average is five cents more than a month ago but 86 cents more than a year ago.
According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand remained flat last week at 8.84 million. Total domestic gasoline supply decreased from 212.1 million barrels to 210.5 million. Gasoline production decreased last week, averaging 9.6 million barrels per day.
At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate rose 26 cents to settle at $79.60 a barrel. The EIA reports that crude oil inventories decreased by 1.7 million barrels from the previous week. At 409.7 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are about 6% below the five-year average for this time of year.
