Arkansas Pump Prices Rise Ahead of Labor Day as New Buc-ee’s Offer Drivers Relief

By Wesley Brown, Arkansas Delta Informer Editor

LITTLE ROCK – Sept. 1, 2026 – Arkansas travelers hitting the road this weekend won’t get any relief from high gas prices that have stalked weary motorists during this year’s hot summer – except at the state’s new Buc-cee’s location in Benton.

According to AAA, August set a new record as the most expensive August at the pump, surpassing the previous record set in 2022.  For the first time ever, the national average in August has been above $4 per gallon every day. 

For travelers taking road trips at the end of the nation’s summer vacation and driving season, gas prices will be higher this Labor Day weekend than last year.  Traditionally, the nation’s summer drive season runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day weekend, which runs from today through Monday, Sept. 7.

Despite those rising fuel prices and traffic delays nationwide on the roads and at the nation’s airports, millions of Americans will still be closing out the summer with a weekend or brief getaway, AAA predicts.

AAA booking data shows strong demand for destinations across the U.S., Canada, and Europe, with Seattle, Orlando, Rome, and London among the most popular choices. Travelers face higher fuel, airfare, and hotel costs this year, while domestic cruise prices trend lower.

“Labor Day has long been a popular time for a final summer getaway, and travelers continue to prioritize vacations with family and friends,” said Adrienne Woodland, spokeswoman for AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Whether it’s a cruise, a national park adventure, or an international trip, travelers are eager to make the most of the holiday weekend.”

Meanwhile, through Sept. 3, the national average for a gallon of regular unleaded is $4.14, five cents higher than a week ago and a month ago. The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline was $3.19 on Labor Day in 2025, when crude oil prices were lower.

GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan said average gasoline prices fell in slightly more than half of states over the last week, while diesel declined in roughly half, as oil prices moved lower and offered some modest relief at the pump.

De Haan said pump prices were somewhat muted after the Trump administration struck a major deal with Venezuela over the weekend, “a signal that the White House remains concerned about elevated fuel prices …”

“(T)hough in reality, any benefits from increased Venezuelan output will take years to fully materialize and are unlikely to move the needle in the near term,” added De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at Gas Buddy.

“The factors with the most immediate impact on where prices go from here remain the ongoing developments between the U.S. and Iran and continued Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries, both of which continue to exert outsized influence on global fuel markets. Motorists should expect continued volatility in the weeks ahead.”

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand rose last week from 9.04 million barrels per day to 9.8 million. Total domestic gasoline supply fell slightly from 206.8 million barrels to 205.7 million. Gasoline production increased last week, averaging 9.8 million barrels per day. 

At the close of Monday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate, the nation’s premium crude grade, was up $4.45 cents to settle at $91.48, nearly $9 above prices a week ago. International Brent crude was also up in this week’s session to $96.02, nearing the $ 100-a-barrel mark after the U.S. military escalated new airstrikes against Iran.

The EIA reports that crude oil inventories decreased by 4.5 million barrels from the previous week. At 424.5 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are well above analysts’ expectations of a $1.1 million barrel drawdown.

De Haan noted in his weekly GasBuddy blog that oil prices surged to start the week after the U.S. military struck Iranian rocket launchers Sunday that were preparing to deploy mines into the Strait of Hormuz, ending weeks of relative calm and snapping markets out of a more subdued trading range.

According to AAA, Arkansas still remains among the 10 least expensive gasoline markets at $3.77 per galling, ranking 5th behind Indiana ($3.44), Texas ($3.69), Oklahoma ($3.71), Mississippi ($3.71), and Louisiana ($3.75). South Carolina ($3.78), Kansas ($3.78), Alabama ($3.79), Wisconsin (3.80), and Missouri ($3.61.

California by far has the nation’s most expensive pump prices with that state’s reformulated retail gasoline rising to $5.78 per gallon, followed by Washington ($5.47), Hawaii ($5.41), Oregon ($4.98), Alaska ($4.96), Nevada ($4.91), Idaho ($4.62), Arizona ($4.52), Utah ($4.42), and Montana ($4.38).

For electric car drivers, the national average cost of electricity at a public EV charging station remained at 42 cents per kilowatt-hour. The nation’s top 10 most expensive states for public charging per kilowatt hour are West Virginia (52 cents), Hawaii (51 cents), Alaska (49 cents), Louisiana (47 cents), California (47 cents), New Hampshire (47 cents), Illinois (45 cents), New Jersey (45 cents), Arkansas (44 cents), and North Dakota (44 cents). 

The nation’s top 10 least expensive states for public charging per kilowatt hour are Kansas (31 cents), Missouri (33 cents), Iowa (33 cents), Nebraska (34 cents), Utah (34 cents), Maryland (34 cents), South Dakota (35 cents), Vermont (36 cents), Minnesota (37 cents), and Delaware (38 cents).

The Arkansas market and The Buc-ee’s Impact

Despite rising gasoline prices across the state and the nation, Arkansas drivers are seeing a wide variety of pump prices in key markets, ranging from $3.39 at the new Buc-ee’s location in Saline County to prices averaging over $4.09 per gallon in Newton County, AAA data shows.

On August 17, Buc-ee’s opened its newest travel center in Benton with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by local officials and dignitaries. Located at 1400 Highway 229, Buc-ee’s Benton spans 74,000 square feet, features 120 fueling stations and employs over 200 workers.

“We obviously picked Benton, the ‘Heart of Arkansas’, to be the first Buc-ee’s in the Natural State. Folks on their way to or from Hot Springs or any number of beautiful destinations around Benton and Little Rock will stop in for our great Texas BBQ, the cleanest restrooms in the universe, and a pit stop beyond their wildest expectations,” said Stan Beard, Buc-ee’s real estate and development director.

In the state’s other urban areas, motorists in the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers area are seeing the highest regional pump prices at $3.87 per gallon going into the busy Labor Day weekend, the same as a week ago. Fort Smith drivers are paying about $3.78 per gallon to fill up their tank, two cents lower than last week and the only region where prices are trending lower.

At the Arkansas-Texas state line, motorists in Texarkana are paying an average of $3.77 per gallon. That price matches the state average and is 11 cents higher than last week. In northeast Arkansas, the Jonesboro and West Memphis markets are seeing prices of $3.78 and $3.79 per gallon, respectively, nearly 11 cents more than last week.

In Central Arkansas, motorists living in or driving through Hot Springs, Little Rock-North Little Rock, and Pine Bluff are seeing pump prices below the state average. Hot Springs has the lowest prices of any MSA at $3.66 per gallon, while most billboard signs in Little Rock-North Little Rock and Pine Bluff are showing gasoline prices for regular unleaded at an average of $3.71 per gallon.

Motorists seeking premium-grade gasoline are paying 85 cents more than the state average, at $4.62 per gallon, up two cents from last week. Truck drivers and other diesel vehicle operators are also emptying their pockets to fill up, at $5.40 per gallon, a whopping $1.94 per gallon higher than a year ago.

Consumer confidence fall as inflation rises

On top of rising gas prices, consumers are becoming more pessimistic about the economy despite improved assessments of their current situation. In August, the Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index^® decreased by 0.8 points to 89.4, down from 90.2 in July. 

The Present Situation Index—based on consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions—rose by 6.8 points to 121.2, following three months of consecutive decline. The Expectations Index—based on consumers’ short-term outlook for income, business, and labor market conditions—fell by 5.8 points to 68.2. 

“Consumer confidence moderated slightly in August for a second consecutive month,” said Conference Board Chief Economist Dana Peterson. “The Expectations Index slipped further into negative territory, which was offset by a moderate rise in the Present Situation Index after declining in the past three months.”

According to Peterson, consumer appraisals of current business conditions were mildly positive as perceptions of the labor market improved, reversing a moderate three-month decline. “Looking ahead, consumers were more pessimistic about business conditions and the labor market over the next six months. Expectations for household incomes moderated but remained optimistic overall,” she said.

As consumer confidence slides in August, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.1% in July after a 0.4% decline in June, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported earlier this month.

The CPI’s all-items index rose 3.4% over the past 12 months, well above the Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee’s 2% inflation target. The shelter index rose 0.1% in July, accounting for roughly two-thirds of the monthly all items increase. The food index also increased 0.% over the month, with the food away from home index up 0.3%. In contrast, the energy index declined 1.5% in July after the U.S. and Iran agreed to a tenuous ceasefire in June.

Core inflation, as measured by the BLS’s Personal Consumption Expenditure price index (the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge), is forecasted at 2.9% in August by the Fed.  Unlike the CPI, core PCE strips out volatile food and energy prices. The next CPI report will be released by BLS on Sept. 11, while the PCE price index will be issued at the end of the month.