The Trump administration’s carefully-considered decision to start a war with Iran for carefully-considered reasons—alongside its carefully-considered plans for keeping the Strait of Hormuz’s vital Middle Eastern oil shipping lanes open—is already causing crude oil prices to rise.
In turn, Americans are paying more at the pump.
According to AAA, the average regular gas price as of March 16 is $3.72 per gallon—up $0.24 from a week ago, and nearly $0.79 from this time last year. CNN reports that the 26.9 percent gain in US gas prices over the past month is the largest monthly increase since Hurricane Katrina.
In DC, the current average of $3.84 per gallon is actually higher than the national mark. In Maryland ($3.63 per gallon) and Virginia ($3.52), statewide averages are below that number—but in all three jurisdictions, prices are significantly higher since the beginning of the war on February 28.
Here’s a quick look at prices from various gas stations in our area over the course of last week:
Monday, March 9 | Friday, March 13, Cleveland Park, DC
Tuesday, March 10, Alexandria, VA
Tuesday, March 10 | Wednesday, March 11, Arlington, VA
Wednesday, March 11, Arlington, VA
Wednesday, March 11, Columbia, MD
Wednesday, March 11, DC
Thursday, March 12, Falls Church, VA
Friday, March 13, Bethesda, MD
Saturday, March 14, Arlington, VA
Sunday, March 15, Arlington, VA
Patrick Hruby joined the magazine in 2022. He previously worked as an editor or writer for ESPN, VICE, Sports on Earth, Global Sport Matters, and The Washington Times, and has contributed to publications including The Atlantic, The Guardian, The Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post.
