Vermont Gas Prices Today

About Vermont Gas Prices

Vermont gas prices typically run above the national average, influenced by above-average taxes, distance from major refining infrastructure, and the high cost of supplying fuel to a small, mountainous, and relatively rural state at the far northern end of the East Coast supply chain. Vermont is the second smallest state by population in the country and has no large cities — Burlington is the largest city with fewer than 45,000 residents — meaning the fuel market lacks the scale economies that help keep prices down in larger metro markets. Vermont is also one of the most environmentally progressive states in the country and has been a leader in clean energy policy that affects transportation fuel markets.

Vermont’s state gas tax is approximately 32 cents per gallon, above the national median. Vermont also applies its general sales tax to gasoline in certain circumstances, adding a variable component to the total burden.

Vermont has no oil refining capacity and receives all its fuel via pipeline connections from the broader Northeast distribution network and via truck delivery from terminals in New York and Massachusetts. The small size of the market limits the scale of wholesale fuel operations and keeps transportation costs per gallon higher than in larger neighboring states.

The ski resort communities of Vermont — Stowe, Killington, Sugarbush, and others — create significant seasonal demand spikes during winter ski season that push prices in mountain communities above the state average. Summer foliage season creates a second demand spike in fall that affects tourist corridor pricing.

Did you know? Vermont is the only state in the continental United States that has no McDonald’s in its largest city — Burlington — reflecting the state’s independent culture, and similarly Vermont has more locally owned independent gas stations per capita than almost any other state. Vermont has the highest percentage of heating oil use for home heating of any state — approximately 30 percent of Vermont homes use heating oil — and the same supply infrastructure delivers both heating oil and gasoline. Vermont has set some of the most aggressive clean energy targets of any state and has one of the highest EV registration rates per capita in the Northeast, driven partly by high fuel costs and strong environmental values.