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What’s the price of regular gas per gallon in Washington state?
Executive Summary
The most specific, recent figure in the supplied analyses is an average Washington state price of $4.217 per gallon for regular gasoline reported by AAA as of November 11, 2025; other supplied data show higher regional figures and older snapshots that illustrate volatility. The available materials also note differing data sets (state averages, Seattle metro, historical peaks) and policy analyses that attribute parts of price differences to state-level programs, underscoring that a single “current” retail price varies by city and data source [1] [2] [3] [4].
1. Why the $4.217 Figure Matters — One Recent, Clear State Average
The clearest, most recent claim in the supplied set is that AAA reported a Washington state average price of $4.217 per gallon for regular gas on November 11, 2025, which directly answers the original question about the state average at that time. That figure is framed as a statewide average, meaning it aggregates prices across urban and rural markets and smooths local retail variation; state averages are useful for trend tracking and policy conversation but do not necessarily reflect the price at any single station [1]. The AAA number is timely within the materials supplied and carries weight because AAA publishes daily fuel surveys; however, statewide averages can lag or differ from live station listings used by apps like GasBuddy or city-level CPI measures.
2. Metro and Historical Comparisons Paint a Different Picture
Complementary data in the packet show a higher metro-level number: the Bureau of Labor Statistics / FRED series reported an average for Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue of $4.809 per gallon in September 2025, which is materially above the statewide AAA average and highlights urban-rural dispersion in retail prices. Historical snapshots in the files include a July 3, 2023 figure of $5.19 per gallon for Washington reported by a regional outlet, illustrating that retail gasoline prices can swing substantially over months and years due to crude markets, refining capacity, taxes, and seasonal demand [2] [3]. Those contrasts underline that answering “what’s the price” requires specifying whether one means a state average, a metro average, or a spot retail price at the pump.
3. Sources and Methodology: Why Numbers Diverge Across Reports
The supplied documents point to different methodologies and link to data providers—AAA, BLS/FRED, regional reporting, and referral to third-party trackers like GasBuddy and the Energy Information Administration—each with distinct sampling rules. State averages (AAA) are produced from station-level surveys aggregated for an overall mean, BLS metro CPI series are based on a different basket and geographic delineation, and media reports often cite single-day station samples or vendor feeds; those methodological differences explain why $4.217 and $4.809 can both be “correct” within their frames [5] [1] [2]. Users should check the date, geographic scope, and whether the figure is an average or a spot price before treating any one number as definitive.
4. Policy and Market Forces Mentioned in the Files — What Pushes Prices in Washington
The materials include an analysis attributing part of Washington’s higher-than-average pump prices to policy elements—specifically the Climate Commitment Act—estimating an impact between 13.4 and 25.7 cents per gallon in some assessments, along with standard market drivers like crude oil costs, refining yields, and distribution logistics. That policy analysis places a measurable, but not exclusive, share of the state price premium on state-level carbon and regulatory measures; other contributors are national wholesale price shifts and regional refining constraints [4]. The presence of these analytic claims signals potential agendas: advocacy or policy studies often emphasize regulatory costs, while industry or consumer groups may stress supply-side or global market factors.
5. Reconciling the Claims — Practical Guidance for the Questioner
Given the supplied evidence, the most defensible answer to “What’s the price of regular gas per gallon in Washington state?” is to report the statewide average of $4.217 per gallon as of November 11, 2025, while noting that Seattle metro averages and spot prices can be materially higher or lower and that historical peaks reached above $5.00 in 2023 [1] [2] [3]. For immediate, station-level decisions, the supplied sources themselves point users to live trackers (GasBuddy, EIA) because day-to-day pump prices change; for policy or trend analysis, the AAA state average and the BLS metro series are appropriate comparators. The supplied dataset makes clear that clarity about scope and date is essential for any accurate price statement [5] [1] [2].
6. What’s Missing and Where to Look Next
The analyses show gaps: several items in the packet do not include publication dates or live station feeds, and the set lacks a uniform single-source daily snapshot of retail station prices across Washington. To verify current pump costs beyond the cited Nov 11 AAA average, consult the live station-level trackers and official EIA state monitors; the materials provided explicitly reference those tools as complements to the averages reported here [5] [1]. The supplied documents collectively enable a credible answer with context: $4.217 per gallon (state average, 11/11/2025) is the best single figure available in the packet, but local prices and policy impacts cause meaningful variation [1] [4].