Gas prices are dropping across Colorado. Why are mountain towns still paying more?
Gas prices fell below $4 for the first time since July, but some Western Slope towns are still charging close to $5
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
Coloradans are finally seeing some relief at the pump as gas prices fall below $4 for the first time in four months. For mountain towns on the Western Slope, however, relief has been much slower to arrive.
The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline fell below $4 per gallon for the first time since July following a 20-cent drop over the past week, according to a Thursday news release from the American Automobile Association.
The national average currently sits at $3.90 as of Thursday, with diesel prices dropping from their record high of $6.53 per gallon — reported in late September — to just under $6.10.
Colorado’s average price per gallon for regular gasoline is roughly 17 cents lower than the national average, sitting at $3.73 as of Thursday. Diesel costs are also sitting slightly lower than the nationwide average, at $6.03 per gallon.
The new state low of $3.73 is roughly 87 cents above normal for this time of year, according to data from the AAA, making the month the most expensive November on record for gas prices.
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The recent price drops can be attributed to a combination of falling crude oil prices, decreased demand for gasoline during autumn and gas stations switching to cheaper winter-blend gasoline around mid-to-late September, according to the release.
The other factors influencing gas prices have been heavily dependent on ongoing international conflicts between the U.S. and Iran — particularly involving disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz — which initially caused oil prices to climb sharply in early 2026.
“Some of this price relief we’re seeing at the pump is a function of the markets expecting there to be an extended or prolonged period of noncombat with Iran, based on comments from the president and others,” said Skyler McKinley, Colorado regional director for AAA. “When crude (oil prices) fall, you tend to see a secondary effect of diesel and gas prices falling, but it could easily spike back up.”
Despite the statewide average falling 50 cents in a month, several mountain towns on the Western Slope have been left out of the pricing relief.
“In Pitkin County, prices are $5.65 right now. Those aren’t going to fall to $3,” McKinley said. “But, just as a rising tide floats all boats, a lowering tide sinks all ships, and you can expect some price relief. It just won’t be as dramatic.”
While demand for gasoline typically falls during the colder months, that pattern isn’t always true for Western Slope towns along Interstate 70, where the holiday season can drive up traffic as families move back and forth between the mountains and the Front Range.
“In the High Country, there is kind of a reverse demand pattern,” McKinley said. “We see prices fall statewide and nationally as we enter the colder months, because folks are driving less, but this is peak season along the I-70 corridor. And so you tend to have increased demand at those service stations that set the pace and the price for a lot of others.”
In Glenwood Springs, the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline fell to roughly $4.55 on Thursday, roughly 18 cents lower than one week ago and 30 cents below the average price on Oct. 12. Even after the drop, the price drivers are paying at the pump is more than $1.50 higher than it was one year ago.
For diesel, Thursday’s average price of $6.72 is almost $2.80 more per gallon than it was in November 2025.
In Vail, diesel prices hit a record-high of $7.06 in late October, falling roughly 50 cents over the last two weeks.
Even with the recent improvements in diesel prices, it will likely take some time before those price drops are reflected in the cost of transported goods, according to McKinley. Purchased items that are transported via semitruck can be especially sensitive to changes in diesel prices, which impact the cost of delivering those goods through the mountain corridors.
Diesel can also become more expensive during autumn and winter months, as the transition to colder weather drives up demand for heating oil — which has the same fuel composition as diesel.
“I would expect higher than usual consumer prices related to the cost of shipping goods for a while, but it’s the time of year when you tend to see some steep discounts on things anyway, especially things that are shipped to you from Black Friday sales,” McKinley said. “In other words, can mountain consumers expect a cheaper burger and beer because diesel’s falling? Probably not yet.”
Ongoing challenges with refining capacity in the U.S. could also keep diesel prices from continuing to fall, even if international conflicts improve.
“It’s really too soon to tell if there’s going to be lasting declines in the price of diesel,” McKinley said. “Some refineries might take this opportunity to go offline and do some maintenance, which could again send prices back upward.”
