California Diesel Prices
Current Price:
$6.784
per gallon
Last updated: 6/21/2026
Cached data
Current Price
$6.784
per gallon
State Tax
$0.538
per gallon
Federal Tax
$0.244
per gallon
Total Tax
$0.782
per gallon
California Diesel Tax Breakdown
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Base Price (before taxes) | $6.002/gal |
| State Tax (CA) | $0.538/gal |
| Federal Tax | $0.244/gal |
| Total Price at Pump | $6.784/gal |
How California Diesel Prices Are Measured
Diesel prices come from two independent sources that measure differently:
AAA Daily Average
Based on over 100,000 gas stations nationwide. Updated daily using actual pump prices reported by stations and credit card transaction data.
- Update frequency: Daily
- Granularity: State-level (all 50 states + DC)
- Methodology: Station-reported pump prices
EIA Weekly Survey
Published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. California falls within PADD 5 - West Coast, one of five Petroleum Administration for Defense Districts (PADDs).
- Update frequency: Weekly (Mondays)
- Granularity: State-level
- Methodology: Volume-weighted survey of ~900 retail outlets per region
Why do AAA and EIA prices differ for California?
California is one of only 9 states where the EIA publishes state-specific diesel data (the others are Texas, Florida, New York, Ohio, Minnesota, Colorado, Massachusetts, Washington). Even so, AAA and EIA prices can differ by $0.05–$0.30 due to different survey methodologies, sample sizes, and reporting timeframes. AAA captures daily pump prices from a larger station sample, while EIA uses a smaller, volume-weighted weekly survey. Our API provides both sources so you can choose the methodology that best fits your use case.
Diesel Prices in California Cities
Find station-level diesel prices in major California cities:
Los Angeles
Population: 3,979,576
View station prices →
San Diego
Population: 1,423,851
View station prices →
San Jose
Population: 1,035,317
View station prices →
San Francisco
Population: 881,549
View station prices →
Fresno
Population: 542,107
View station prices →
Sacramento
Population: 524,943
View station prices →
Long Beach
Population: 466,742
View station prices →
Oakland
Population: 433,031
View station prices →
Get California Diesel Prices via API
from oilpriceapi import OilPriceAPI
client = OilPriceAPI(api_key="YOUR_API_KEY")
# Get California state average
price = client.diesel_prices.get_regional(state="CA")
print(f"California diesel: ${price.price}/gal")
# Get station-level prices in Los Angeles
stations = client.diesel_prices.get_stations(
lat=34.0522,
lng=-118.2437,
radius=8047 # 5 miles
)
for station in stations:
print(f"{station.name}: ${station.diesel_price}")Frequently Asked Questions
Why is diesel expensive in California?
California diesel is $6.784/gal due to a state tax of $0.538/gal (one of the highest in the US) and stricter fuel regulations.
What cities in California have the cheapest diesel?
Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose typically have competitive diesel prices. View city-specific data for exact prices.
Can I get real-time California diesel prices?
Yes! Use our API to get station-level prices updated every 24 hours from 130,000+ US stations including California.
View API documentation →Related Pages
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