Fuel prices continue to climb in Grand Marais, across Minnesota

Gas prices continue to rise in Cook County and across the state amid ongoing conflicts with Iran and the U.S.

As of Monday, April 6, regular fuel at Circle K and Marathon gas stations in Grand Marais was $3.99 per gallon. Diesel was $5.09 per gallon.

Gas prices for regular fuel have risen nearly 50 cents a gallon since March 14 in Grand Marais. As of Tuesday, April 7, fuel prices farther down the shore on the west end of Cook County, gas prices were slightly less. On Tuesday, regular fuel was $3.69 in Tofte and $3.59 in Lutsen.

The state average as of Tuesday, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA), is $3.58 per gallon. An increase of 35 cents per gallon since last month. AAA tracks fuel prices by state and metro area across the United States. The national average is slightly higher, at $4.14 per gallon.

Rising fuel prices are occurring across the state and nation. AAA reported on April 2 that the national average for a gallon of regular exceeded $4 for the first time since August 2022.

States along the West Coast, such as Washington, Oregon, and California, are experiencing the highest gas prices per gallon, ranging between $5 and $5.93.

The increase in fuel prices comes as Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway that carries roughly one-fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas.

Global leaders have been scrambling to contain the rising cost of oil and gasoline since the start of the Iran war, which took a record amount of oil off the market when tankers full of crude were stranded in the Persian Gulf and military strikes damaged refineries, pipelines, and export terminals, the Associated Press reports.

Hoping to ease some pain for consumers, President Donald Trump and other heads of state have been pulling on various levers, launching more oil on the market in a bid to calm the chaos.

A group of 32 nations that are members of the International Energy Agency began releasing the largest volume of emergency oil reserves in its history: 400 million barrels. Trump is tapping into oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve while lifting sanctions on Russian and Iranian crude.

But despite those maneuvers, crude oil has soared well past $100 a barrel.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Kalli Hawkins April 7, 2026