Gas prices in the Hartford area jumped 47.3 cents per gallon in a single week, reaching an average of $3.31 per gallon as of March 9, 2026 — one of the sharpest seven-day increases on record — as U.S. military strikes against Iran disrupted oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and sent global crude markets into turmoil.
The national average for regular gasoline reached $3.45 per gallon the same week, up 51.1 cents from the prior week, according to GasBuddy. Diesel prices have risen even faster: the national average diesel price hit $4.599 per gallon, up 85.9 cents in a week.
Iran War Is Driving One of the Fastest Price Spikes in Decades
U.S. military strikes on Iran began February 28, 2026. The conflict has severely disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway responsible for roughly one-fifth of the world's daily oil supply. When tanker traffic through the strait slows or halts, global oil supply tightens rapidly — and pump prices follow within days.
Oil prices have climbed above $100 per barrel for the first time in years, a threshold that typically translates to $3.50 or higher gas prices nationwide.
GasBuddy analyst Matt McClain called the situation exceptional by modern standards. "We are looking at a pretty unprecedented situation, at least as far as this century goes," McClain said. "Since the year 2000, we have not seen something quite this intense" in terms of oil price disruption.
More Increases Expected This Week
Patrick De Haan, GasBuddy's head of petroleum analysis, said prices could climb an additional 20 to 50 cents per gallon this week, with diesel potentially rising 35 to 75 cents. That would push Connecticut averages to between $3.51 and $3.81 per gallon, potentially approaching or exceeding $4.00 in some markets before the end of March.
In the Hartford area, prices ranged from $2.99 to $4.09 per gallon as of March 9, reflecting wide variation between stations even within the same region. Waterbury averaged $3.30, and Springfield, Massachusetts averaged $3.23.
"Timing your fill-up by the day of the week won't save you meaningful money right now," De Haan said. The speed of the surge has effectively overridden historical pricing patterns that showed Sundays as the cheapest day to buy gas in Connecticut.