# What are PADDs? > A PADD is a Petroleum Administration for Defense District, one of five regions the federal government groups the states into for petroleum data. EIA reports diesel prices by these districts, so reading a regional diesel number starts with the map. _Updated Aug 20, 2026._ A PADD is a Petroleum Administration for Defense District, one of five regions the federal government has grouped the states into for petroleum data since World War II. EIA reports its weekly diesel prices by these districts, so reading a regional diesel number starts with knowing the map. PADD 1 is the [East Coast](/region/east-coast), PADD 2 the [Midwest](/region/midwest), PADD 3 the [Gulf Coast](/region/gulf-coast), PADD 4 the [Rockies](/region/rocky-mountain) and PADD 5 the [West Coast](/region/west-coast). ## The five districts PADD 1, the East Coast, is large enough that EIA splits it into three subregions: 1A [New England](/region/new-england), 1B the [Central Atlantic](/region/central-atlantic) and 1C the [Lower Atlantic](/region/lower-atlantic). PADD 2 is the Midwest, the freight crossroads of the country. PADD 3 is the Gulf Coast. PADD 4 is the Rocky Mountains. PADD 5 is the West Coast. For diesel specifically, EIA also breaks out [California](/region/california) on its own and reports [PADD 5 with California removed](/region/west-coast-except-california), because California behaves like a separate market. ## Where the name comes from The name is a wartime relic. The Petroleum Administration for War drew these five districts in 1942 to ration fuel. That agency was wound down after the war, but the Petroleum Administration for Defense revived the map in 1950, and the lines have stuck ever since. They were never redrawn for how fuel markets actually work, which is why a single district can span very different places. [Table: Gulf Coast (PADD 3) diesel price](https://mondaydiesel.com/region/gulf-coast) ([data](https://mondaydiesel.com/region/gulf-coast.md)) [Table: Midwest (PADD 2) diesel price](https://mondaydiesel.com/region/midwest) ([data](https://mondaydiesel.com/region/midwest.md)) [Table: West Coast (PADD 5) diesel price](https://mondaydiesel.com/region/west-coast) ([data](https://mondaydiesel.com/region/west-coast.md)) ## Why PADDs matter for diesel The districts are not equals in the fuel market. PADD 3, the Gulf Coast, is the refining engine, home to the largest concentration of US refining capacity and the export docks. Prices tend to rise with distance from that supply, and EIA notes that areas far from the Gulf refineries generally see higher diesel prices. PADD 1, the East Coast, leans on fuel moved up from the Gulf and on imports. PADD 5, the West Coast, is close to an island, largely supplied by its own refineries and expensive to resupply from outside, which EIA describes as a relatively isolated market. Read the three tables above together and the geography shows up in the price. Two of the districts move for reasons outside their own borders. The Gulf Coast makes far more diesel than the region burns, and the surplus goes two ways: north and east to the rest of the country, and offshore through the export terminals. That second channel ties the Gulf price to global distillate demand, so a cold snap in Europe or strong buying in Latin America can firm up the number a Texas fleet pays. The East Coast is on the receiving end of that flow, supplied by pipeline up from the Gulf and by waterborne imports, so a pipeline problem or a bad import week shows up at PADD 1 pumps before it shows anywhere else. ## Worked example: same fuel, three prices For the week of Jul 6, 2026 the Gulf Coast (PADD 3) pump price was $4.225 a gallon, the Midwest (PADD 2) $4.458 and the West Coast (PADD 5) $5.425 (the live tables above carry the current figures). The Gulf, where the fuel is made, is the cheapest. The West Coast, farthest from that supply and under its own fuel rules, runs more than a dollar higher. The district a truck fuels in tells you far more about the pump price than the national average does, which is the whole reason to read the regional number. Monday Diesel reports each district's pump price as EIA surveys it and explains how the districts differ. It does not forecast where any region's price goes next. Monday Diesel is a free weekly read of the DOE diesel number and what it does per mile. Built entirely from EIA's public data, in your inbox before dispatch, one email a week. ## Related data + guides - [Regional diesel prices](https://mondaydiesel.com/region) - [Gulf Coast (PADD 3) diesel price](https://mondaydiesel.com/region/gulf-coast) - [Midwest (PADD 2) diesel price](https://mondaydiesel.com/region/midwest) - [Why the West Coast pays more](https://mondaydiesel.com/guides/why-the-west-coast-pays-more) - [Retail, rack and spot: the diesel price ladder](https://mondaydiesel.com/guides/retail-rack-and-spot) - [Glossary](https://mondaydiesel.com/glossary) ## Common questions ### What does PADD stand for? Petroleum Administration for Defense District. The name traces to a Cold-War-era federal agency, and the five-district map was first drawn to ration fuel during World War II. ### How many PADDs are there? Five: PADD 1 East Coast, PADD 2 Midwest, PADD 3 Gulf Coast, PADD 4 Rockies and PADD 5 West Coast. PADD 1 splits further into 1A New England, 1B Central Atlantic and 1C Lower Atlantic. ### Which PADD has the cheapest diesel? Usually the Gulf Coast, PADD 3, where most US refining capacity sits. Prices tend to rise with distance from that supply, and the West Coast, PADD 5, is typically the highest. ### Why does the diesel survey break out California? California runs its own fuel specification and tax structure and behaves like a separate market, so EIA reports it on its own and also reports PADD 5 with California removed. --- Canonical URL: https://mondaydiesel.com/guides/what-are-padds