Gas Prices Question

[sraun]

<sarcasm> For some strange reason, I'm driving to Chicago on Friday. </sarcasm>

For those on my friends list with recent experience - IIRC, I should be able to get most, if not all, of the way to Naperville, IL on a tank of gas. So, I've got two options - fill up just before leaving Wisconsin, or fill up in one of Chicago's western suburbs. Which is my better bet?

Comments

WI!WI!

[buttonlass.livejournal.com]

Fill up almost anywhere that isn't Chicago. Our gas prices are always higher than anywhere else from Mpls to here.:P

Re: WI!WI!

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Are random Chicago higher gas prices higher than Wisconsin freeway gas prices?

B

Re: WI!WI!

[buttonlass.livejournal.com]

Yep. I believe so. If you go to the gas buddy site basically madison gas costs 15 cents a gallon less than chicagoland gas.

Re: WI!WI!

[sraun]

Personally, I'm comparing random WI freeway gas prices to random IL freeway gas prices. For random WI vs. random IL, http://www.twincitiesgasprices.com says yes. I assume that the forces driving up freeway gas prices are nearly constant throughout the US.

Their US gas prices map (http://www.twincitiesgasprices.com/Price_By_County.aspx) shows a jump in $.08 range crossing the border. Yes, it could be a $.00 difference, but it could also be a $.16 difference. I saw evidence that the map is being generated in near real-time, the ranges are selected to match the display.

A history comparison of Madison vs. Chicago (http://www.twincitiesgasprices.com/Retail_Price_Chart.aspx) shows Chicago being more expensive by $.08-.16 for the past six months. It graphs by city - that was the closest pair I could find.

Re: WI!WI!

[carbonel]

Yes. Illinois' gas taxes are much higher than those any of the surrounding states. We're talking 20-30 cents per gallon, I think.

Re: WI!WI!

[davidschroth.livejournal.com]

That was certainly the case on our most recent trip to Chicago...

[growlycub.livejournal.com]

Check out http://www.gasbuddy.com

[norabombay.livejournal.com]

Wisconsin.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Fifteen gallon tank, and -- what? -- a $0.15 per gallon difference? I say do the most convenient thing.

B

[sraun]

If the only difference is 'do I get off the freeway in WI or IL, and go no more than half a block to the gas station?'- which it pretty much is - I see no reason not to try to save the couple of bucks.

[buttonlass.livejournal.com]

Just to be clear once you enter Illinois there are no gas stations that close to the freeway or easily accessible except for the oasis. There are no easy on off options. We've done this trip a lot and the best last place to pee is at the oasis.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Definitely.

To me, the major cost is the time required to get on and off the freeway; I get gas at the same time I get food.

B

[pgdudda.livejournal.com]

Fill up anywhere outside of Chicagoland. Maybe a lunch stop in Madison? There's a mall area just off of the exit to 151 with a couple gas stations nearby.

Enjoy your trip!

[davidwilford.livejournal.com]

Not about price, but if you're pressed for time, fill up at the oasis on the Illinois Tollway just past Rockford. Quick and easy.

[billroper]

In my slightly outdated experience, the best place to fill up is at the main Beloit exit. There's also a new Love's at the exit just north of the Wisconsin border which was a bit better on price than Beloit was recently.

[coalboy.livejournal.com]

I agree. This was the case the last time I went to see gryphon's_lair.

[rono-60103.livejournal.com]

My knowledge of Illinois vs Wisconsin gas prices is a bit out of date (but I'm current on where to get cheap gas in and around Rancho Bernardo in San Diego).

But, I do recall from many interstate trips that gas prices usually change, often dramatically, when crossing state lines because of the tax difference. According to the first hit when Googling "State Gas Taxes" I can see that Illinois' tax is $0.09/Gallon plus either 6.55% or 6.82% depending on how two taxes actually get added in. Wisconsin is at $0.321/Gallon. So for $2.50/gallon base those come to $2.83, $2.86, or $2.70 (again unsure what taxes apply to other taxes) for Illinois and $2.82 for Wisconsin. If the base prices are higher, then the difference will go up.

Of course other regulation gets in the way too. I think both California and the Chicago area (which may or may not include the Rockford area) require specially formulated gas at least part of the year which also adds to the gas prices.

FWIW, in 1999 when I moved from California back to Illinois, gas prices went down noticeably each time i crossed the state line, until I went from Missouri to Illinois where they jumped back to nearly California prices. The biggest drop was California to Arizona.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Why didn't the con fly you down there?

K.

[sraun]

They would have. When we were asked a year ago - and up until about a month ago - we were planning on spending part of the following week in Chicago doing tourist things. Since we would have wanted a car for that, and had the time for driving down, and they'll reimburse for mileage - we're driving.

[pmrabble.livejournal.com]

Week before last the cheapest gas was at the first exit into Illinois, but don't wait any further. By Rockford it was way up.

[kerianth.livejournal.com]

Wherever you buy gas in the States, it's still a heck of a lot cheaper than it is here in Scotland! :D I'm the same, though, I cherry-pick my petrol stations according to price. Safe driving to Chicago and enjoy the con! (Not jealous. Not at all. No ....)