---
title: "Gas Prices Ease in Bristol but Stay Well Above Last Year"
url: https://www.herebristol.com/2026/10/20/bristol-gas-prices-dip-still-above-last-year/
date: 2026-10-20T05:18:46-04:00
modified: 2026-10-20T05:18:46-04:00
author: "Miriam S. Rutledge"
categories: ["Business"]
site: "HEREBristol"
attribution: "HEREBristol"
---

# Gas Prices Ease in Bristol but Stay Well Above Last Year

> BRISTOL, Tenn. — Drivers filling up in Bristol are paying a little less than they did a week ago, but the price of a gallon of regular is still far above where it sat this time last year. The AAA daily survey put the Kingsport-Bristol metro average for regular unleaded at $3.8023 on Tuesday, down

*Source: [HEREBristol](https://www.herebristol.com/2026/10/20/bristol-gas-prices-dip-still-above-last-year/) — October 20, 2026 by Miriam S. Rutledge*

BRISTOL, Tenn. — Drivers filling up in Bristol are paying a little less than they did a week ago, but the price of a gallon of regular is still far above where it sat this time last year.

The AAA daily survey put the Kingsport-Bristol metro average for regular unleaded at $3.8023 on Tuesday, down from $3.8591 a week earlier and $4.0233 a month ago. A year ago, the same gallon averaged $2.6488 in the metro.

Statewide, Tennessee drivers are seeing a similar picture. The AAA statewide average for regular stood at $3.8267, compared with $2.6843 a year ago. Diesel remains the steepest fuel at the pump, with a statewide average of $5.9812 a gallon.

Across the state line, prices are running a bit higher. A GasBuddy survey showed the Virginia average dropping by more than 12 cents over the past week, to roughly $4.04, and most Southwest Virginia stations were posting regular close to $4 a gallon.

Bargain hunters on the Tennessee side have had better luck. The GasBuddy survey found the cheapest stations in Johnson City selling regular at $3.81 a gallon. Analysts say the up-and-down price cycling among area stations gives drivers only short breaks, and regional averages are still more than a dollar above 2025 levels.

Premium shoppers in the metro are paying $4.6290 a gallon on average, while mid-grade runs about $4.2466. The record for regular unleaded in the Kingsport-Bristol area remains $4.6119, set on June 12, 2022.

For Bristol families who cross between Tennessee and Virginia every day, the gap means it can still pay to fill the tank on the Tennessee side of State Street before heading north.