A gallon of gas was 65 cents in 1978—here's how much it cost every year since

Americans are continuing to pay more at the gas pump.

Gas prices increased 18% in March, according to the consumer price index, pressured in part by the war in Ukraine limiting supply.

The national average for a gallon of gas on April 13 was about $4.08, according to AAA, and a gallon briefly topped $6 in some parts of the country last month.

Californians are currently paying the highest average gas prices, with a gallon going for $5.73, while Missouri currently has the cheapest at $3.65 per gallon.

And while some states have taken measures to take the edge off of sky-high prices, Americans will likely not see much relief as peak summer driving season gets underway between Memorial Day and the Fourth of July.

"I think on the West Coast we could see prices close to $6 a gallon," Tom Kloza, global head of energy analysis at OPIS, told CNBC last month. "I think for the rest of the country, I'm in the $4.25 to $4.75 camp."

To show how much prices have grown over the years, CNBC Make It gathered data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on the average price of a gallon of gas for every year between 1978 and 2021, as well as what the inflation-adjusted cost would be in March 2022.

• 1978: $0.65 ($2.99 inflation-adjusted)
• 1979: $0.88 ($3.70 inflation-adjusted)
• 1980: $1.22 ($4.51 inflation-adjusted)
• 1981: $1.35 ($4.46 inflation-adjusted)
• 1982: $1.28 ($3.90 inflation-adjusted)
• 1983: $1.23 ($3.62 inflation-adjusted)
• 1984: $1.20 ($3.39 inflation-adjusted)
• 1985: $1.20 ($3.27 inflation-adjusted)
• 1986: $0.93 ($2.44 inflation-adjusted)
• 1987: $0.96 ($2.48 inflation-adjusted)
• 1988: $0.96 ($2.39 inflation-adjusted)
• 1989: $1.06 ($2.52 inflation-adjusted)
• 1990: $1.22 ($2.75 inflation-adjusted)
• 1991: $1.20 ($2.56 inflation-adjusted)
• 1992: $1.19 ($2.48 inflation-adjusted)
• 1993: $1.17 ($2.36 inflation-adjusted)
• 1994: $1.17 ($2.30 inflation-adjusted)
• 1995: $1.21 ($2.31 inflation-adjusted)
• 1996: $1.29 ($2.40 inflation-adjusted)
• 1997: $1.29 ($2.33 inflation-adjusted)
• 1998: $1.12 ($1.99 inflation-adjusted)
• 1999: $1.22 ($2.13 inflation-adjusted)
• 2000: $1.56 ($2.66 inflation-adjusted)
• 2001: $1.53 ($2.51 inflation-adjusted)
• 2002: $1.44 ($2.34 inflation-adjusted)
• 2003: $1.64 ($2.59 inflation-adjusted)
• 2004: $1.92 ($2.98 inflation-adjusted)
• 2005: $2.34 ($3.53 inflation-adjusted)
• 2006: $2.64 ($3.83 inflation-adjusted)
• 2007: $2.85 ($4.05 inflation-adjusted)
• 2008: $3.32 ($4.52 inflation-adjusted)
• 2009: $2.40 ($3.27 inflation-adjusted)
• 2010: $2.84 ($3.77 inflation-adjusted)
• 2011: $3.58 ($4.67 inflation-adjusted)
• 2012: $3.70 ($4.69 inflation-adjusted)
• 2013: $3.58 ($4.47 inflation-adjusted)
• 2014: $3.43 ($4.22 inflation-adjusted)
• 2015: $2.51 ($3.09 inflation-adjusted)
• 2016: $2.20 ($2.67 inflation-adjusted)
• 2017: $2.47 ($2.92 inflation-adjusted)
• 2018: $2.79 ($3.24 inflation-adjusted)
• 2019: $2.70 ($3.08 inflation-adjusted)
• 2020: $2.24 ($2.50 inflation-adjusted)
• 2021: $3.13 ($3.44 inflation-adjusted)

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