Statewide average updated daily • Source: AAA
South Dakota gas prices typically run near the national average with a modest tendency to run slightly above it in the western part of the state and slightly below in the eastern urban areas near Sioux Falls. South Dakota has no state income tax — a distinction it is well known for — but its gas tax is moderate and the state’s vast rural geography creates significant price variation between its most accessible and most remote communities. The Badlands, Black Hills, and Mount Rushmore tourism economy creates seasonal price pressure in the western part of the state every summer.
South Dakota’s state gas tax is approximately 28 cents per gallon, near the national median. The state has a straightforward flat-rate structure without variable components.
South Dakota receives fuel primarily through pipeline connections from the Midwest distribution network, with Sioux Falls on the eastern border benefiting from proximity to the broader Midwest terminal infrastructure. Rapid City in western South Dakota is the main distribution point for the Black Hills region but sits significantly further from major pipeline terminals, adding transportation cost.
The western South Dakota tourist economy — centered around Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Custer State Park, and the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally — creates enormous seasonal fuel demand spikes that push prices in the Black Hills region well above the state average during summer months. The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally alone brings over 500,000 visitors to a small western South Dakota town in a single week each August.
Did you know? The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is one of the largest motorcycle gatherings in the world, bringing over half a million riders to a town of about 7,000 people and creating one of the most dramatic single-event fuel demand spikes of any gathering in the country. South Dakota has no state income tax yet its gas tax is moderate rather than minimal, reflecting the high cost of maintaining roads across a vast and sparsely populated state. The remote gas stations serving travelers in Badlands National Park are among the most geographically isolated fuel retail operations in the continental United States.
Compare today’s average in South Dakota with nearby states to understand regional price differences.
Learn more about what drives gas prices across the United States.
Crude oil prices are the biggest driver of what you pay at the pump. For U.S. and global crude oil production data updated from EIA figures, see Oil Production Live.