Statewide average updated daily • Source: AAA
Missouri is one of the cheapest states for gasoline in the entire country, consistently ranking in the bottom five for average prices. The state has the second lowest state gas tax in the nation, sits at the geographic crossroads of the United States with excellent pipeline and supply infrastructure, and has a highly competitive retail fuel market in its major metro areas. For Missouri drivers, low gas prices are a reliable feature of daily life that has held for decades.
Missouri’s state gas tax is just 17 cents per gallon — the second lowest in the country behind only Alaska. This rate was increased from an even lower level in recent years after decades of being among the lowest in the nation, but Missouri still maintains one of the lightest fuel tax burdens of any state.
Missouri sits at the center of the country’s fuel distribution network. The state has excellent pipeline access to Gulf Coast supply and benefits from its position as a distribution hub for the Midwest. Kansas City and St. Louis both have strong wholesale fuel infrastructure, and the competitive retail markets in both cities — particularly along suburban corridor strips — keep retail margins tight.
The combination of minimal taxes and excellent supply infrastructure makes Missouri a consistently cheap fuel market that rarely experiences the supply disruptions that temporarily spike prices in more isolated states.
Did you know? Missouri’s 17 cent gas tax is so low that Missouri roads and bridges have faced chronic underfunding, leading to a voter-approved tax increase in 2020 that was still modest by national standards. Missouri’s position at the geographic center of the country — at the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers and the intersection of multiple major interstates — makes it one of the best-supplied fuel markets in the nation. Missouri is one of the few states where rural gas prices are often comparable to or even cheaper than metro areas, as highway stations compete heavily for long-distance traveler business.
Compare today’s average in Missouri with nearby states to understand regional price differences.
Learn more about what drives gas prices across the United States.
Crude oil prices are the biggest driver of what you pay at the pump. For U.S. and global crude oil production data updated from EIA figures, see Oil Production Live.