US Gasoline Prices Surpass $4 for Labor Day

American travelers are facing record-high gasoline prices this Labor Day weekend, with the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline poised to surpass $4 for the first time during the holiday. The surge is driven by a confluence of factors, including elevated crude oil costs stemming from conflict in the Middle East and disruptions to global fuel supplies. According to the American Automobile Association, the national average stood at approximately $4.15 per gallon on Saturday, September 5, 2026. This figure is nearly $1 higher than the average recorded during the same period last year. Analysts project the price will settle around $4.03 on Labor Day itself, which falls on Monday, September 7. This would decisively break the previous Labor Day record of $3.82 per gallon, set on September 3, 2012. While not at all-time highs, prices are at their highest level ever recorded this late in the calendar year. The primary driver is the cost of crude oil, which moved back above $90 per barrel this week.