Murphy USA Gas Prices in October 2026: Down 7.68% Nationwide, Erasing September's Rise
Across 556 standalone Murphy USA and Murphy Express stations in 25 states, regular unleaded fell 29.9 cents in October, giving back all of September's increase. North Carolina's gas-tax suspension cut 70 cents there, while Colorado's price cycles made it the only state with a large increase.
Oct 31 Regular Avg
$3.591
-$0.299 (-7.68%) vs Oct 1
Monthly Peak (Oct 7)
$3.949
After a 13.3¢ one-day jump
North Carolina Change
-70.4¢
$3.920 → $3.216 after the tax cut
Murphy vs. EIA Avg
-52.4¢
EIA National: $4.269 on Oct 26
September pushed standalone Murphy prices up 28 cents. October took it all back. The national regular average at our 556 standalone Murphy USA and Murphy Express stations fell from $3.889 on October 1 to $3.591 on October 31, a drop of 29.9 cents (-7.68%). Prices fell at 494 of 556 stations (88.8%), and the median station's price fell 30 cents.
The decline was not smooth. A 13.3-cent jump on October 7 set the monthly peak of $3.949, and Colorado stations kept jumping every week or so. The biggest single cut came from policy rather than the market: North Carolina suspended its 41-cent gas tax on October 10, and Murphy's 56 stations there fell 35 cents the next day. On October 26, Murphy stations averaged $3.745, 52.4 cents below the EIA national average.
1. All Fuel Grades: October 1 vs. October 31
| Fuel Grade | Oct 1 | Oct 31 | Change ($) | Change (%) | Oct Avg | Oct High | Oct Low |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Unleaded | $3.889 | $3.591 | -$0.299 | -7.68% | $3.791 | $3.949 (10/07) | $3.591 (10/31) |
| Midgrade | $4.331 | $4.055 | -$0.276 | -6.36% | $4.239 | $4.392 (10/07) | $4.055 (10/31) |
| Premium | $4.684 | $4.412 | -$0.273 | -5.82% | $4.592 | $4.741 (10/07) | $4.412 (10/31) |
| Diesel (552 stations) | $5.799 | $5.718 | -$0.081 | -1.39% | $5.758 | $5.831 (10/16) | $5.684 (10/13) |
Gasoline grades all fell by roughly the same 27 to 30 cents. Diesel barely moved: it fell 8.1 cents and spent most of the month between $5.70 and $5.83.
2. Why Prices Fell, and Why Not Faster
- Winter blend, finally: AAA's national average fell from $4.41 on October 1 to $4.22 on October 29, helped by the switch to cheaper winter-blend gasoline. Even so, AAA called prices the highest ever recorded for the time of year.
- Crude stayed near $100: Crude oil hovered near or above $100 a barrel for much of the month, which AAA said limited further declines at the pump.
- Two state tax holidays: North Carolina suspended its 41-cent gas tax from October 10 through November 30. Georgia's 33.3-cent suspension, which began on September 29, was extended through November 30.
- Murphy still undercut the market: In the EIA's October 26 survey, regular averaged $4.269 nationally against $3.745 at standalone Murphy stations, a 52.4-cent gap. EIA diesel was $6.352, against $5.782 at Murphy, 57.0 cents cheaper.
3. One Jump, Then a Long Slide
The national regular average went through three phases:
The 13.3¢ Wednesday
Prices eased 7.4 cents to $3.815 by October 6, then jumped 13.3 cents on Wednesday, October 7, to the monthly peak of $3.949. North Carolina stations alone rose 25.6 cents that day.
A 22.8¢ Retreat
Prices fell on most days to $3.721 by October 22. The largest drop, 5.2 cents on October 11, came as North Carolina stations passed on the tax suspension.
Small Bumps, Lower Close
Colorado and Midwest price spikes added 3.5 cents on October 23 and 3.1 cents on October 25. Prices then fell again, including a 7.1-cent drop on the last day, to close at $3.591.
Cheapest Day of the Week to Fill Up at Murphy USA
Tuesday and Saturday tied as the cheapest days, but the gap to Thursday was only 4.1 cents, down from 20.8 cents in September. In a falling month, timing mattered much less than where you filled up.
4. Regional Breakdown: The South Fell, the West Rose
| Census Region | Stations | Oct 1 Avg | Oct 31 Avg | Net Change ($) | Net Change (%) | Oct Monthly Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South | 446 | $3.869 | $3.493 | -$0.376 | -9.72% | $3.711 |
| Midwest | 31 | $4.084 | $3.998 | -$0.086 | -2.11% | $4.054 |
| West | 79 | $3.928 | $3.984 | +$0.055 | +1.41% | $4.142 |
The South, with 446 of the 556 stations, fell 37.6 cents, led by North Carolina and Texas. The West was the only region to end higher. Utah, New Mexico, and Nevada all fell, but Colorado's 48 stations rose 32.2 cents and make up most of Murphy's western network.
5. State-by-State Winners & Losers
| 1. North Carolina (56 stations) | -70.4¢ (-17.95%) |
| 2. Utah (5 stations) | -58.0¢ (-11.84%) |
| 3. Texas (131 stations) | -43.1¢ (-11.03%) |
| 4. Florida (61 stations) | -34.4¢ (-8.56%) |
| 5. New Mexico (22 stations) | -33.0¢ (-7.96%) |
| 6. Louisiana (22 stations) | -31.9¢ (-8.43%) |
| 1. Colorado (48 stations) | +32.2¢ (+8.87%) |
| 2. Indiana (4 stations) | +8.7¢ (+2.36%) |
| 3. Illinois (6 stations) | +8.2¢ (+1.81%) |
| 4. Ohio (3 stations) | -2.0¢ (-0.50%) |
| 5. Iowa (2 stations) | -2.0¢ (-0.52%) |
| 6. Kentucky (9 stations) | -12.0¢ (-3.06%) |
North Carolina: From Mid-Pack to Cheapest
Murphy's 56 North Carolina stations started October at $3.920, 10.9 cents above South Carolina. After the state's 41-cent gas tax was suspended on October 10, they fell 35.2 cents in one day (from $3.967 to $3.615 on October 11) and kept sliding to $3.216, 30.3 cents below South Carolina. North Carolina ended the month as the cheapest Murphy state, with all six of the network's cheapest stations.
Colorado: Four Price Spikes
Murphy's 48 Colorado stations jumped four times: +40.2¢ on October 4, +41.2¢ on October 10, +34.3¢ on October 15, and +55.8¢ on October 25, each followed by days of small cuts. The average swung from a low of $3.551 (October 3) to a high of $4.535 (October 25) and closed at $3.950, 32.2 cents above October 1.
Georgia stayed cheap all month with its tax holiday in place: its 30 stations eased from $3.588 to $3.358, and October's Georgia average ($3.523) was 33.7 cents below September's ($3.860).
Cheapest States on October 31Regular avg
- 1. North Carolina (56 stations)$3.216
- 2. Georgia (30 stations)$3.358
- 3. Louisiana$3.466
- 4. Texas (131 stations)$3.475
- 5. Tennessee$3.513
- 6. South Carolina$3.519
- 7. Oklahoma$3.519
- 8. Mississippi$3.553
Most Expensive States on October 31Regular avg
- 1. Nevada (4 stations)$4.872
- 2. Illinois (6 stations)$4.601
- 3. Utah$4.317
- 4. Michigan$4.259
- 5. Colorado (48 stations)$3.950
- 6. Ohio$3.949
- 7. Nebraska$3.912
- 8. Iowa$3.859
6. Murphy Express Stores vs. Murphy USA Kiosks
Murphy USA Kiosks
$3.561 Oct 31 avg
-$0.323 (-8.31%) month change
October Monthly Average: $3.768 • Diesel Oct 31: $5.680
Murphy Express Stores
$3.605 Oct 31 avg
-$0.287 (-7.38%) month change
October Monthly Average: $3.802 • Diesel Oct 31: $5.736
The two formats finished September level. In October, kiosks fell 3.6 cents more, so they ended the month 4.4 cents cheaper than Express stores on regular and 5.6 cents cheaper on diesel. Murphy stations in Walmart parking lots averaged $3.655 on October 31, 6.4 cents above standalone sites; see our Walmart October report.
7. Station Extremes
Cheapest Standalone Stations, Oct 31
- 1. Goldsboro, NC (#8564)$3.019
- 2. Rocky Mount, NC (#8772)$3.019
- 3. Fayetteville, NC (#7957)$3.029
- 4. Fayetteville, NC (#7963)$3.049
- 5. Southport, NC (#8572)$3.079
- 6. Fayetteville, NC (#8823)$3.079
Most Expensive Standalone Stations, Oct 31
- 1. North Las Vegas, NV (#8777)$4.899
- 2. North Las Vegas, NV (#8782)$4.879
- 3. North Las Vegas, NV (#8787)$4.859
- 4. Las Vegas, NV (#8783)$4.849
- 5. Lake Zurich, IL (#8854)$4.699
- 6. Naperville, IL (#8870)$4.639
8. How Murphy Customers Can Save in November
- North Carolina and Georgia: use the tax holidays. Both suspensions run through November 30. At the end of October, Murphy's North Carolina stations averaged about 30 cents a gallon less than its South Carolina stations, so drivers near the state line can save by filling up on the North Carolina side.
- In Colorado, buy near the bottom of the cycle. Prices there jumped four times in October, by 34 to 56 cents each time, then drifted down over the following days. Filling up just before the next jump is the cheapest timing.
- Use Murphy Drive Rewards. Our Drive Rewards guide explains how points become cents off per gallon, on top of the roughly 50-cent gap to the national average.
Methodology: Daily station-level prices from the martgasprice.com price feed for 556 standalone Murphy USA and Murphy Express stations (Murphy stations in Walmart parking lots are covered in our Walmart report). National and state figures are simple averages of all stations reporting that day. Every day in October has readings; placeholder prices (such as $9.999) are excluded. September comparisons exclude the days the feed missed (September 2–4 and 18). External benchmarks are from AAA's weekly gas price reports and the EIA's Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update (October 26, 2026).
Check current fuel prices at Murphy USA
Daily pump price updates across 556 standalone locations.