Illinois gas prices climb as Persian Gulf tensions rattle oil markets
Published 9:09 am Monday, July 27, 2026
CHICAGO — Gasoline prices across Illinois jumped more than 10 cents per gallon over the past week, part of a nationwide increase driven by escalating conflict in the Persian Gulf and renewed attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, according to data released Monday by fuel-savings platform GasBuddy.
The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in Illinois stood at $4.23 on Monday, up 10.3 cents from a week earlier, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 4,378 stations statewide. Prices in the state are up 11.9 cents from a month ago and 88.3 cents from a year ago.
Nationally, the average price of gasoline rose 10.8 cents over the past week to $4.06 per gallon, according to GasBuddy, which compiles its averages from more than 11 million weekly price reports at over 150,000 stations across the country. The national average is up 23.9 cents from a month ago and 95.6 cents from a year ago. The national average price of diesel climbed 17.8 cents over the week to $5.255 per gallon.
Prices varied widely across Illinois. The cheapest station in the state was selling gasoline for $3.49 per gallon Sunday, while the most expensive station charged $5.99, a difference of $2.50.
Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, attributed the increases to a volatile week in global energy markets, pointing to escalating tension between the United States and Iran, a resurgence of Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, and Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries, all of which put upward pressure on crude oil and refined fuel prices.
However, De Haan said a pullback in hostilities over the weekend caused oil prices to open sharply lower Sunday, which could ease the pace of pump price increases in the days ahead.
“For now, motorists should expect prices to remain elevated, but the intensity of further gains will depend heavily on how the geopolitical situation develops in the coming week,” De Haan said.
Illinois gas prices remain well above where they stood in recent years at this time. A year ago, the state average was $3.35 per gallon.
