The average cost of a gallon of regular gasoline in the United States in 1975 was about $0.57.
That figure is a nominal price, meaning it is the amount shoppers actually paid at the time rather than an inflation-adjusted modern equivalent. Government energy tables report the annual average more precisely as approximately $0.567 per gallon, which rounds to 57 cents.
The price reflected the energy shock that followed the 1973 oil crisis. OPEC production cuts and the quadrupling of international oil prices pushed U.S. fuel costs sharply higher. In 1973, regular gasoline averaged roughly 39 cents per gallon; by 1974 it was around 53 to 54 cents, before reaching about 57 cents in 1975.
The number can vary slightly depending on the dataset, fuel grade, location, taxes, and whether the statistic is a yearly average or a particular month. It also should not be confused with today’s purchasing power. Adjusted for inflation, 57 cents in 1975 represented several dollars per gallon in later-year terms, even though the pump price itself was well below one dollar.