Kansas gas prices jumped more than 30 cents since February. How high could they get?
As gas prices in Kansas and across the U.S. continue to rise following Saturday’s military strikes on Iran, the state’s average gas price this week is similar to the same time last year.
As of Thursday afternoon, the average gallon of gas in Kansas was $2.83, according to comsumer platform GasBuddy. While gas prices are up about 39 cents compared to this time last month, they are about 1 cent lower now than March 2025.
Lance Bachmeier, Ph.D. and professor of economics Kansas State University, told The Eagle gas prices are hard to predict as they depend on a number of factors, but he didn’t expect much more of an increase.
“I wouldn’t expect [a large increase], but it wouldn’t surprise me if we had a 50% increase in the price of gas, if things got really bad,” Bachmeier said.
The U.S. could experience a shortage of oil due to ships not being allowed through since the war with Iran, and that will have a ripple effect on domestic prices, Bachmeier said.
“We do get a little bit of our oil from Saudi Arabia,” he said. “So that’s what would drive up the price of oil in the U.S., and therefore give us a higher price of gas in the U.S.”
Looking at Wichita Thursday afternoon, the city is seeing an average gas price of $2.94 per gallon, according to GasBuddy, which is an increase of about 35 cents compared from last week. Auto club AAA reports an average gallon of gas cost $2.91 in Wichita.
Adjusting for inflation, today’s gas prices are comparable to a decade ago, Bachmeier said, which means increases could be plausible.
“They’re low like they were in 2016, when we had the collapse of oil prices due to the U.S. fracking revolution, they’re almost as low as they were during the financial crisis in 2009,” he said.
“There’s a lot of room for gas prices to rise, is the first thing I would say,” Bachmeier continued.
Matt McClain with GasBuddy told The Eagle that Kansas was on the lower end of average gas prices in the nation this week and on par with similar states, like Oklahoma.
“(Kansas) is among some of the lower prices in the country. Unfortunately, it’s just increasing, but it could be far worse,” McClain said.
California was sitting at the highest cost per gallon Wednesday afternoon, with an average of $4.70. Oklahoma had the lowest at $2.73.
“We do expect that that price will continue to increase, barring again any deescalation situations that we can hope for within the next several days. So unfortunately, the increase is not over quite yet,” McClain said.
Just how much of increase? McClain said GasBuddy predicts an increase of 20 to 55 cents per gallon.
“We feel fairly confident that in the next several days to a week, what has already transpired in the conflict will impact oil prices and gas prices, specifically gas prices, 20 to 55 cents more per gallon,” he said.
The national average was $3.25 per gallon Thursday afternoon, about a 35-cent increase compared to last month.
“Day to day, you know, things change in the conflict very rapidly,” McClain said.
If you use mid-grade or premium fuel, the average cost is even higher. Here’s a breakdown in Wichita, from AAA:
- Mid-grade: $3.15
- Premium: $3.37
- Diesel: $3.65
How to save on gas in Wichita
No matter what happens to gas prices in the next few weeks, it’s always good to know how to find the cheapest fuel around to cut down on your expenses.
If you’re trying to not break the bank at the gas pump, be sure to shop around several gas stations to get the best deal. You can use apps, like GasBuddy, to see cheapest prices by station. AAA and Gas Guru also have tools to shop around.
In addition, McClain said driving slower can lead to less gas use.
“Decreasing your speed actually is the greatest advantage to increasing your fuel efficiency for your vehicle, which can help offset the increase in price for gas for those who are price sensitive right now,” McClain said.
Reducing the number of trips you take can also help, as well as checking your tire pressure, Consumer Reports says.
