Wednesday’s national average price of $3.125 is the same as on former President Joe Biden’s last day in office. Before today’s increase, the cost of gas had gradually declined since President Donald Trump took office. Incidentally, gas prices are less expensive today than they were a year ago, according to AAA.

Gas prices were a hot topic during Biden’s time in office, increasing during his term compared to when Trump was in office between Jan. 2017 and Jan. 2021, when the average price of regular gas was $2.476 per gallon. The climb in fuel costs became part of the economic and energy quagmire that plagued the nation’s 46th president. After assuming office in Jan. 2021, gas prices rose to more than $3 per gallon by June 2021, less than six months after Biden’s inauguration. Expensive fuel costs were an economic headache for Biden and lasted the duration of his presidency.

Gas prices hit $4.929 in June 2022, the highest national average cost for a gallon of regular gas in the nation’s history. Fuel costs began to drop gradually the next month, though they would continue fluctuating between 2022 and 2024. By April 2024, gas prices reached a high for the year before beginning to drop in May. The cost of fuel would eventually fall to $3.01 per gallon by mid-December. Prices began to rise after Christmas.

Since Trump began his second term, gas prices have already seen quite a fluctuation. The inconsistency in pricing is prevalent throughout the country with gas prices varying depending on the state. On Wednesday, the price for regular gas ranged anywhere from $2.682 to $4.542 per gallon. Some states have experienced increases at the pumps, while in others, the cost of gas has gone down. Currently, the state with the least expensive gas prices is Mississippi, at $2.682 per gallon. Hawaii, has the highest fuel costs nationally, with a gallon of regular gas in the state costing $4.542.

In the Delmarva area, prices have both increased and decreased on Wednesday. Prices have fluctuated quite a bit in the region over the last month.

Delaware was once the state with the cheapest gas along the East Coast. On Wednesday, the average price for a gallon of gas in the state is now $3.09. This was a decrease from earlier this week and a significant drop from last week when the average cost for regular gas in the First State was $3.20 per gallon.

In Maryland, prices are on the rise, as the cost of a gallon of regular gas reached $3.21 on Wednesday. This was a slight increase from earlier in the week. However, Wednesday’s cost is less expensive than a week ago, when regular gas was $3.285 per gallon. Gas prices in the state are more expensive than a month ago when the cost was $3.136 for a gallon of gas.

Virginia’s average gas price, which was under $3 per gallon in January, is at $3.049 on Wednesday. This was an increase from earlier this week but a drop in costs compared to a week ago when a gallon of gas in the state was $3.07. Virginia currently is the state with the least expensive fuel costs in Delmarva. 

In Washington D.C., regular gas on Wednesday cost $3.262, a drop in price from earlier in the week. It is also less expensive compared to a week ago when a gallon of regular gas in the nation’s capital cost $3.278.