Gas prices have climbed sharply across the U.S. following the outbreak of the Iran War, but the size of the increase varies significantly by state.
Using AAA price data from February 18, 2026, as a pre-war baseline and prices as of August 20, 2026, this visualization, via Visual Capitalist's Sofie Gilbert, maps the percentage increase across all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
Which States Saw the Biggest Gas Price Increases
Iowa has seen the largest percentage increase in the country, with gas prices jumping 69.1% from $2.45 to $4.14 per gallon. Oklahoma follows closely at 68.8%, while Colorado, Minnesota, and Wyoming have each seen increases of more than 60%.
Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Kansas round out the top 10, each up more than 57%.
The table below shows the full breakdown of price changes by state, sorted from largest to smallest percentage change.
StatePre-War Price(Feb 18 2026)Current Price
(Aug 20 2026)$ Change% Change Iowa$2.45$4.14$1.6969.1% Oklahoma$2.29$3.87$1.5868.8% Colorado$2.76$4.48$1.7262.2% Minnesota$2.57$4.16$1.5961.8% Wyoming$2.70$4.37$1.6761.8% Montana$2.75$4.39$1.6459.7% New Mexico$2.61$4.14$1.5358.5% North Dakota$2.54$4.01$1.4757.7% South Dakota$2.59$4.08$1.4957.7% Kansas$2.47$3.88$1.4157.1% Utah$2.79$4.38$1.5957.0% Nebraska$2.59$4.04$1.4556.1% Arkansas$2.46$3.80$1.3454.6% Wisconsin$2.55$3.94$1.3954.4% Missouri$2.52$3.89$1.3754.3% Ohio$2.70$4.12$1.4252.6% Idaho$2.97$4.49$1.5251.3% Mississippi$2.49$3.66$1.1747.2% Illinois$2.99$4
