How much is the gas tax in West Virginia?

West Virginia's total motor fuel tax is about 35.7 cents per gallon, made up of a flat excise rate plus a variable component tied to the wholesale price of fuel. It is among the higher state gas taxes in the region.

Is the federal gas tax included?

Yes. The federal gasoline excise tax of 18.4 cents per gallon applies on top of the West Virginia rate. Combined, you pay roughly 54 cents per gallon in fuel taxes in West Virginia.

How is fuel tax per mile calculated?

Divide the combined per-gallon tax by your vehicle's MPG. A car getting 30 MPG with a 54-cent combined tax pays about 1.8 cents of fuel tax per mile driven.

Does West Virginia tax diesel differently?

Diesel is taxed at a similar combined state rate to gasoline in West Virginia, but the federal diesel excise (24.4 cents) is higher than gasoline. This calculator uses the gasoline rates by default.

Why does the variable part change?

Part of West Virginia's fuel tax is a percentage of the average wholesale fuel price, so the total rate can rise or fall slightly as fuel prices change and the state recalculates the variable rate.

West Virginia Gas Tax Calculator

Email me this result

Get this tool's output sent to your inbox, plus one useful tool a week. No spam, unsubscribe any time.

See your real West Virginia fuel tax

Every gallon you pump in West Virginia carries both a state and a federal tax. This calculator converts your driving habits into the actual fuel tax dollars you hand over each year, plus what that works out to per mile.

How it works

The calculator first estimates gallons consumed, then applies both tax rates:

Gallons per year = Annual miles / MPG
State tax  = Gallons x WV rate  (~$0.357/gal)
Federal tax = Gallons x $0.184/gal
Combined   = State + Federal
Per mile   = Combined rate / MPG

West Virginia’s rate combines a fixed excise with a variable component tied to wholesale fuel prices, so the total moves slightly over time. The federal 18.4-cent rate has been unchanged for decades. Together they add roughly 54 cents of tax to every gallon.

Example and notes

Driving 12,000 miles a year in a 30-MPG car:

Gallons: 12000 / 30 = 400 gal
State:   400 x 0.357 = $142.80
Federal: 400 x 0.184 = $73.60
Combined: $216.40 per year
Per mile: 0.541 / 30 = 1.8 cents

Notes: a more fuel-efficient vehicle lowers your fuel tax proportionally, which is part of why states are exploring mileage-based fees for EVs that pay no gas tax. Diesel drivers pay a higher federal rate. These rates are estimates — confirm current figures with the WV State Tax Department.