Alaskans visiting Washington state will find gas prices shockingly high, as that state is nearing $1 a gallon gas tax.
Starting July 1, Washington’s gas tax climbs once again — for the 21st time. The new hike brings Washington’s base gas tax to 55.4 cents per gallon, plus the estimated 40 cents per gallon from the state’s Climate Commitment Act, a carbon pricing program passed in 2021. That totals an eye-watering 95.4 cents per gallon for gasoline and over $1.01 per gallon for diesel.
Before that hike goes into effect, the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in Washington state is approximately $4.45, significantly higher than the national average of $3.21 per gallon, and higher than what Anchorage drivers typically pay, which is $3.56 a gallon.
This latest increase in Washington state stems from a 2025 legislative package that included a 6-cent hike in the state’s gas tax. Though the tax itself is nothing new — it’s been around since 1921, when a gallon of gas was taxed at just one penny — the economic context has changed drastically. So has the way Washington residents get around, with a rising number of drivers switching to electric vehicles, which don’t pay gas taxes at all, shifting the tax burden to the poor. The new legislation will now adjust it upward for inflation every year.
Washington leans on its gas tax to fund infrastructure, roads, ferries, and transit projects. In recent years, however, the landscape has shifted. As EV adoption grows and fuel efficiency improves, traditional gas tax revenues are becoming less reliable. There are more than 180,000 electric cars on the roads now in Washington state — still a small fraction of the vehicles, but growing.
To compensate, lawmakers added revenue from the state’s Climate Commitment Act, which operates under a cap-and-invest model — essentially a carbon pricing system that auctioned off emission allowances. The proceeds act as an indirect tax on fuel consumption, and in 2025, it’s estimated to add roughly 40 cents per gallon to fuel costs. Washington’s total tax burden at the pump is among the highest in the country, exceeding $1.10 per gallon for gasoline.
To compare, the gas tax in Alaska is 8.95 cents per gallon for gasoline and diesel, which is the lowest in the United States. This rate includes state excise taxes and related fees paid at the pump.
In addition to the state tax in Washington, motorists in all states pay s a federal excise tax of 18.4 cents per gallon on gasoline and 24.4 cents per gallon on diesel.
Based on fuel consumption data from the US Energy Information Administration, in 2022 Washington state used approximately 2.5 billion gallons of gasoline and 0.6 billion gallons of diesel.
This brings is more than $2.991 billion annually to the state.
As the state tax approaches the $1-per-gallon mark, it places an a larger burden on rural communities, lower-income drivers, and those who can’t afford to transition to electric vehicles.
And tomorrow, that gets just a little heavier for those in Washington state who do not drive electric cars.
Sitting here in Idaho, every time we drive over the line to Spokane the gas price difference is shocking. I cannot figure out why these people in Washington vote for this kind of thing. But lately there seem to be a ton of Washington State vehicles lingering on this side of the line. Getting crowded though.
I’m not concerned about Washington. I am concerned about Alaska and our prices which are so gross and unreasonable.
Another reason not to visit Washington state
Do you think that Washingtonians would revolt if they really knew how Olympia was sticking it to them? The folks east of the Cascades cannot stand all this leftist tax raising and socialist policies, but the West Coasters outnumber them four to one. When will the breaking point occur?
WA gas tax hikes should be expected every year – after all, conservatives should expect to pay for all of the free narcotics and needle exchange programs which eventually will extend into K-8 government groomer school rooms
“Climate Commitment Act” – Nothing more than fraud against the taxpayer. A do-nothing tax.