July 1, 2021 – The gas tax in Illinois is set to increase once again, two years after lawmakers doubled the motor vehicle fuel tax to pay for a six-year infrastructure plan.
Each gallon of gas in Illinois comes with a 39.2 cent state tax per gallon, which is on top of the 18 cents per gallon federal gas tax. State and municipal sales tax is also included, making Illinois one of the few states that include sales tax in addition to a state tax.
In 2019, Illinois lawmakers and Governor Pritzker doubled the state’s gas tax from 19 cents per gallon to 38 cents per gallon and included annual increases to avoid voting for future tax hikes.
Lawmakers doubled the gas tax in July 2019 to pay for road and infrastructure improvements throughout the state.
Illinois has the highest gas prices in the midwest region at $3.31 per gallon compared to $2.75 in Missouri and $2.91 in Wisconsin.
