The nationwide average retail price for regular unleaded gasoline rose to $4.54 per gallon on Tuesday, according to the American Automobile Association, Anadolu Agency reported.
The latest level is around 50 cents below the all-time high of $5.01 per gallon reached in June 2022.
On a seasonal basis, pump prices are already at a record high for this time of year.
Prices remain highest in California, where gasoline has exceeded $6 per gallon. They have also climbed rapidly across the Midwest, with some states nearing $5 per gallon.
Higher fuel costs are adding to inflation concerns, weighing on consumer sentiment and straining household budgets.
Gasoline prices briefly eased in April after the US and Iran announced a halt to hostilities, but remained above $4 per gallon, a level first breached in mid-March.
Pump prices have risen more than $1.50 since the start of the war, as markets continue to watch for signs of a breakthrough after US President Donald Trump said “Great Progress” had been made toward ending the conflict.
Benchmark gasoline futures, which hovered near $3 per gallon for much of the Middle East conflict, surged in the final week of April to their highest level since June 2022.