Metro Detroit gas prices retreat after surge to $4.89

Metro Detroit gas prices have begun retreating after reaching $4.89 per gallon Monday, Oct. 26, the highest regional average in Michigan.

By Thursday, Oct. 29, the regional average had fallen to approximately $4.71 for regular unleaded, according to AAA's daily fuel-price data.

That decline offers some relief to Troy-area drivers, although prices remain considerably higher than a year ago.

Prices surge, then ease

Michigan's statewide average reached $4.83 per gallon Monday, a 32-cent increase from the previous week, according to AAA Michigan's Oct. 26 report.

Metro Detroit's average had climbed approximately 35 cents in a week and stood about $1.90 higher than at the same time in 2025.

At Monday's statewide average, a 15-gallon tank cost approximately $72, about $21 more than at the state's highest gasoline price in August 2025.

By Thursday, Michigan's statewide average had declined to approximately $4.66 per gallon.

The state's record average remains $5.22 per gallon, reached in June 2022.

Crude oil adds pressure

AAA attributed much of the recent increase to elevated crude oil prices.

"With crude oil back above $100 a barrel, elevated oil prices are adding significant upward pressure to what motorists are paying for gasoline," AAA spokesperson Adrienne Woodland said in the Oct. 26 release.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil closed at $103.27 per barrel the preceding Friday, according to AAA.

Federal energy figures cited by the organization showed that domestic gasoline inventories fell from 208.3 million to 205.3 million barrels, while daily gasoline demand increased from 8.40 million to 8.98 million barrels.

Regional refinery issues have also contributed to price concerns. Patch reported that Patrick De Haan, GasBuddy's head of petroleum analysis, identified problems at a Joliet, Illinois, refinery as one factor behind the recent Midwest increases.