Gas Prices in Allentown, PA Today

Allentown drivers are paying around $3.85 per gallon for regular unleaded in late March 2026, and some stations in the Lehigh Valley have already crossed the $4.00 mark. Pennsylvania as a whole is averaging close to $3.95, making it one of the most expensive states at the pump right now. The reason isn't a mystery, it's the tax.

Pennsylvania's Nation-Leading Gas Tax

Pennsylvania charges 57.6 cents per gallon in combined state gas taxes, the highest rate in the entire country. That's nearly triple what neighboring New Jersey charges and about 15 cents more than New York. For a driver filling a 15-gallon tank, that's $8.64 going to Harrisburg before you even start paying for the actual gasoline.

This tax was raised in 2013 to fund bridge and road infrastructure repairs, and it's been a sore point for PA drivers ever since. The practical effect in the Lehigh Valley is that you're paying a structural premium of 20–35 cents per gallon compared to what drivers in New Jersey or Delaware pay for the exact same fuel from the same refineries.

The Wawa-Sheetz Price War

The silver lining for Lehigh Valley drivers is fierce retail competition. Wawa and Sheetz, Pennsylvania's two convenience store gas empires, go head-to-head across the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton metro. Both chains use gas as a loss leader to drive food and drink traffic, which means they consistently price 5–15 cents below major oil brand stations. If you're not already defaulting to Wawa or Sheetz, you're probably overpaying.

Turkey Hill, another PA-based chain, adds a third competitor in many Lehigh Valley locations. The result is that despite Pennsylvania's brutal tax rate, Allentown's actual pump prices are often more competitive than parts of New York or Connecticut where taxes are lower but retail competition is thinner.

Where to Find Cheaper Gas in Allentown

Search by ZIP to compare current station prices:

• Downtown / Center City, 18101, 18102, urban core, mixed pricing
• West End / Parkway, 18104, suburban, Wawa and Sheetz presence
• South Allentown, 18103, residential, lower overhead stations
• East Side / Airport Rd corridor, 18109, commercial strip, high station count
• Whitehall Township, 18052, MacArthur Road corridor, competitive

The New Jersey Border Option

For drivers in the eastern Lehigh Valley, the New Jersey border on I-78 is about 25 minutes away. NJ gas taxes are roughly 25 cents per gallon lower than PA's, and gas is full-service only in New Jersey, so you don't even have to get out of the car. Stations along Route 22 in Phillipsburg and Clinton see significant PA-plate traffic for exactly this reason. Whether the drive is worth it depends on your route, but if you're already commuting east toward the border, filling up on the NJ side is an easy win.

→ Search gas prices in your Allentown ZIP code

→ See all Allentown ZIP codes

→ Pennsylvania gas prices overview