Drivers across the United States are feeling the pinch at the pump. As of October 20, 2026, the national average price of petrol has reached $4.27 per gallon, according to data from the motor club AAA. That is a lot of money for an American family that was already struggling to make ends meet.
The increase is big. Gas prices have gone up by more than 40 percent since the United States and Israel launched their war against Iran. In dollar terms, the average price has gone up by more than one dollar per gallon since the fighting started. The main reason is the global oil supply, which has tightened as turmoil in the Middle East continues.
Oil prices have been on a rollercoaster. They shot up, then dropped back close to where they were before the war, and now they are rising again. Since mid-May, the average price of petrol had come down by about 20 cents, which gave people some hope. That hope has faded, and prices are moving up once more.
Fuel is not only a problem for car owners. Jet fuel prices have also gone up sharply, and airlines have responded by raising their fares. So if you are an American planning to fly this season, you will likely pay more for your ticket.
The situation is not the same in every state. In California, Hawaii, Nevada and Washington, the average price is at least $5 per gallon. Georgia, North Carolina and Texas have it the cheapest. Still, no part of the country has been spared. A Brown University analysis estimates that the rise in gas prices since the war began has cost Americans more than $70 billion.
For us here in Kenya, this story will sound familiar. Whenever fuel prices go up in the world, we feel it quickly in the cost of matatu fare, transport of goods and the price of food on our tables. It shows how connected our economies are to what happens in faraway places. Anyone who depends on a car, a boda boda or a delivery van knows how one small change at the pump can ruin a whole budget.
Analysts say the coming weeks will depend on how the conflict develops and whether oil producers can calm the market. Until then, ordinary people in America will keep looking at the pump with worry, and many will be asking the same question: how long can this last?
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