(The Center Square) – Virginia drivers are paying one of the highest gas tax rates in the country, ranking ninth nationwide at 41.6 cents per gallon, according to new data from the Tax Foundation.
States collect gas taxes at the pump to pay for road construction and upkeep. Drivers contribute each time they fill up, and some states also tack on extra fees or sales taxes that increase the total cost.
That places the commonwealth just below Maryland, where drivers pay 46.2 cents per gallon, the seventh-highest rate, according to the report. The District of Columbia sits at 35.3 cents per gallon, ranking 17th.
Virginia pump prices, however, remain lower than both neighbors.
GasBuddy data from Wednesday showed Virginia stations among the cheapest in the country, with prices between $2.55 and $2.59 per gallon in Danville, Galax and Roanoke.
Maryland prices hovered between $2.74 and $2.83, while D.C. stations reported $2.87 to $3.15.
Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said this summer ended with the lowest national Labor Day gas prices since 2020, making it the most affordable driving season in years.
He noted motorists spent about $11.3 billion less on gasoline compared to last summer and said prices are likely to hold steady so long as hurricanes or other disruptions do not interfere. He added that the national average could dip to around $2.99 per gallon this fall, keeping fuel costs among the lowest seen in several years.
For Virginia drivers, the takeaway is clear, while the commonwealth ranks near the top in gas tax burden, filling up still costs less than it does in Maryland, D.C., and much of the country.
