The cost of filling up in Massachusetts continues to climb. But President Donald Trump says it’s a “small price to pay” for the ongoing war on Iran.
Gas prices have regularly increased since the start of the Iran war more than six months ago, becoming a sore spot for the Trump administration moving into the midterm elections, according to the polls. In Massachusetts, gas prices have risen by more than a dollar since last year.
The president addressed concerns about climbing fuel costs at a Sept. 16 rally in Gastonia, North Carolina.
“It’s a very inexpensive price to pay for what we’ve done. Remember that. It’s a little more. Frankly, even if it was a lot more,” he said. “But that’s going to come tumbling down.”
The national average price for a gallon of gas on Friday, Sept. 18, hit $4.46, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA). In Massachusetts, it’s $4.40: a one-cent increase from Thursday, Sept. 17, a 39-cent increase from a month ago and a nearly $1.30 jump from a year ago.
Gas prices are displayed at a gas station on September 15, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois.
See gas prices in Massachusetts
The Cambridge-Newton-Framingham area currently has the highest gas prices in the state, with an average of $4.44 as of Sept. 18.
Here are the average gas prices for one gallon of regular, unleaded fuel as of Sept. 18 in different areas across the state, from highest to lowest, according to AAA. All prices are up over $1 from a year ago.
Cambridge-Newton-Framingham: $4.44
Barnstable-Yarmouth: $4.40
What’s the highest ever recorded gas price in Massachusetts?
The highest recorded average gas price in Massachusetts was just over $5 for one gallon of regular, unleaded gas, according to AAA. That was recorded June 12, 2022.
See gas prices by state
Massachusetts falls somewhere in the middle when it comes to highest gas prices around the country.
California sees the highest prices, with an average gas price of $6.09 as of Sept. 17, followed by Washington at $5.58 and Nevada at $5.19.
All prices below are for one gallon of regular, unleaded fuel.
See gas prices by region
Even without California, which tops the price list, the West Coast consistently has the highest average, followed by the Rocky Mountain region, then the Central Atlantic. All regions were up over $1 compared to the same date last year (Sept. 14).
All prices below are for one gallon of regular, unleaded fuel.
USA TODAY’s Fernando Cervantes Jr. contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Trump: gas prices are ‘small price to pay’ for Iran. See prices in MA