Minnesota Gas Prices Hit $6 Per Gallon, Used EV Sales Climb 54% In One Month

As gas prices climb across Minnesota, drivers are feeling the pinch at the pump. Regular unleaded gas averaged $4.016 per gallon statewide as of May 1, 2026. That’s up sharply from $3.10 per gallon in May 2025, a 19.5% jump in just one year.

The Twin Cities metro hit $4.03 per gallon, slightly above the state average. Northwestern Minnesota saw lower prices near $3.70 per gallon. Prices climbed fast throughout April and into May, rising from $3.45 in early April to $4.03 by May 2. That’s a jump of more than half a dollar in just a few weeks.

Minnesota’s prices are still below the national average of $4.392 per gallon. California topped the country at $6.060 per gallon. Hawaii came in second at $5.638, and Washington third at $5.610. Oklahoma had the lowest average at around $3.44 per gallon. Nearby, Wisconsin averaged $4.235, while Iowa sat at $3.950 and North Dakota at $3.924.

It’s not just regular gas feeling the pressure. Minnesota’s mid-grade averaged $4.415 per gallon. Premium reached $4.917. Diesel came in highest at $5.212 per gallon. The gap between regular and premium was $0.901 per gallon.

Reports attribute the surge to geopolitical tensions in oil markets as a key reason for the rise. The approaching boating season may be adding demand pressures as well. Reports indicate a single-week price spike approaching 25% in Minnesota during this period. That made the weekend of early May the most expensive gas-buying weekend in four years.

Nationally, Kentucky saw the biggest year-over-year jump at 42.5%. Nebraska had the smallest increase at 18.4%. Every state in the country saw double-digit percentage price hikes. Gas prices have contributed to recent inflation pressures, per reports citing BLS data, and the largest inflation increase since May 2024.

Minnesota’s historical gas price peak was $4.75 per gallon, set back in June 2022. Current prices haven’t reached that level yet, but they’ve been climbing fast. Twin Cities drivers paid about $1.03 more per gallon than they did a year ago, when prices sat around $3.00 per gallon. Some analyses suggest tariff-driven slowdowns could impact global energy demand, adding uncertainty to how high pump prices may climb in the months ahead. Rising costs are likely hitting rideshare drivers hard, despite fuel rewards programs offered by Uber and Lyft and other relief initiatives falling short of offsetting the financial burden.

✅ Claims in this article were verified using AI-assisted fact-checking.