Since automobile fuel prices have risen so dramatically in the last few weeks I thought it might be fun to start a thread to list the highest and lowest observed fuel prices in the DC Metro area.
I will start with the highest fuel prices I have observed: Exxon Station at Quince Orchard and Booth in Gaithersburg (The Kentlands): regular @$3.39, mid-grade @$3.59 and premium @ $3.69.
Lowest price I observed as of yesterday was a Washingtonian station way up on New Hampshire Avenue in MoCo selling unleaded for $2.95.
Then this isn't recent, but it's got the numbers beaten:
(http://www.schuminweb.com/images/journal/2010/april-raid-12.jpg)
That's from April 2010 outside the Watergate (to compare, the Citgo station on Georgia Avenue in MoCo was selling at $2.79). I'd hate to see what this station near the Watergate is selling for right now...
That Exxon should be disqualified forever. I've never, EVER seen it below $3.50/gallon for unleaded in nearly three years here.
That Watergate Exxon was $4.25/gal last Tuesday.
$4.25... yikes!
I have to wonder what makes the price consistently so high at that particular station. I think there's likely a certain because-we-can attitude involved, but there's got to be something else involved, like cost to transport fuel to that station or something. After all, gas prices in downtown Silver Spring are usually always higher than Aspen Hill, and so it must be something in getting fuel trucks into those denser areas...
There's a Sunoco/Washingtonian across the street that's more than a dollar per gallon less than this, IIRC...so I dunno about that.
There are many factors, proximity to other gas stations often being one of them I think. The Exxon in Glen Echo is always far more expensive than the gas stations on River Road near Kenwood or the gas station next to and caddycorner to Bruce's Variety on Arlington Road.
Here is a candidate for the lowest prices I have seen: The Liberty station at Route 28 and Route 124 in Gaithersburg: $2.99 for regular, $3.09 for midgrade and $3.19 for premium.
There are a few stations here on the Eastern Shore with prices below $3.00.9.
Exxon US-50 Graysonville $2.99.9
ExTra US-50 Queentown outlets $2.99.9
BP Amaco 7-11 US-50 and MD-213 Chesapeake Collage Wye Mills $2.97.9
ExTra US-50 Trappe $2.98.9
Shell US-50 Mardela Springs $2.99.9
Most are in the $3.03.9 > $3.09.9 range
Does Costco count? Saw $2.90 at Arundel Mills on the 26th.
Tristan, I would say so. If that's the lowest price in the DC area, it's definitely noteworthy.
Our prices here in SW VA are as low as $2.79 at Sheetz and Kroger Fuel Centers. If you have a Kroger Card, you can get it for $2.76, or save $.10/gal. for every 100 fuel points you accumulate in a given month, i.e. every $100 you spend in groceries with them.
Even with all the above, gas prices really are getting insane again. How is it we went from as low as $1.24 a gallon (in my neck of the woods) in January 2009 to this? My only guess is that the BP oil spill finally caught up with us at the pump. It sure makes transit look like a bargain.
Here's something funny I saw last night coming home. Two Shell stations, not even a mile apart had two different prices for regular. The one on Landover Road, nearest to the Landover Metro Station had regular gas priced at 2.99. The station not too far from it up the road at MLK Hwy has theirs at 3.05 per gallon. The one that's at 2.99 per gallon has their specials on either Sunday or Thursday, not Wednesday. To make it even worse they were usually around the same price per gallon.
Quote from: Flxible on December 29, 2010, 01:58:53 PMOur prices here in SW VA are as low as $2.79 at Sheetz and Kroger Fuel Centers. If you have a Kroger Card, you can get it for $2.76, or save $.10/gal. for every 100 fuel points you accumulate in a given month, i.e. every $100 you spend in groceries with them.
Gas prices in the Roanoke area are usually always lower than other areas, it seems. When I lived in Augusta County, whenever I would go to Roanoke, I would always make a point to gas up while in Roanoke due to the significantly cheaper gas. Dunno why it was always cheaper, but it was.
Quote from: Flxible on December 29, 2010, 01:58:53 PMEven with all the above, gas prices really are getting insane again. How is it we went from as low as $1.24 a gallon (in my neck of the woods) in January 2009 to this? My only guess is that the BP oil spill finally caught up with us at the pump. It sure makes transit look like a bargain.
It certainly does make transit look like a deal, but I don't think BP is the issue. Political pundit Randi Rhodes thinks it's market speculation, and that would seem to make sense considering what we saw last time. We saw the prices creep past $3 in mid-2007, and peaked around $4 in fall 2008, and then quickly dropped by $2.50 ($1.41 was the lowest I saw (http://www.schuminweb.com/schumin-web/journal/permalink.php?id=1091) on a trip to Augusta County) when the bottom dropped out of the economy.
Meanwhile, the lowest gas price I've seen in MoCo lately is $2.92 last night at the 7-Eleven on Frederick Road (MD 355) near Shady Grove station.
I've heard predictions of $5/gallon by 2012, but I don't know if that's just bologna or if there is some shred of truth. By then the economy will probably have picked up some so I guess it's possible.
It might not happen, when gas prices went up past 4 bucks a few years ago, people raised heck, changed their routines, took transit and used other modes of non-automobile transportation, which caused gas prices to go down. Also if the global recession still exists around 2012 could also factor into gas prices not going up.
We can all hope that gas prices don't get to five bucks, though to a point it really doesn't matter to me all that much.
I'm hearing that a $5/gal US fuel price would likely be caused by the significant increase of crude oil being used in China and India.
On Saturday 4/2/2011 I observed the following prices for fuel at the EXXON station at Virginia Avenue and Rock Creek Parkway (near the Watergate):
Regular: $4.69
Mid-grade: $4.89
Premium: $4.99
The $5.00 mark is right-around-the-corner at one location at least!
Quote from: WMAveteran on April 05, 2011, 01:45:59 AM
On Saturday 4/2/2011 I observed the following prices for fuel at the EXXON station at Virginia Avenue and Rock Creek Parkway (near the Watergate):
Regular: $4.69
Mid-grade: $4.89
Premium: $4.99
The $5.00 mark is right-around-the-corner at one location at least!
That gas station is always among the most expensive in the entire DC area. Tony Kornheiser often discusses it on his radio show.
Quote from: WMATAGMOAGH on April 05, 2011, 03:28:43 AM
Quote from: WMAveteran on April 05, 2011, 01:45:59 AM
On Saturday 4/2/2011 I observed the following prices for fuel at the EXXON station at Virginia Avenue and Rock Creek Parkway (near the Watergate):
Regular: $4.69
Mid-grade: $4.89
Premium: $4.99
The $5.00 mark is right-around-the-corner at one location at least!
That gas station is always among the most expensive in the entire DC area. Tony Kornheiser often discusses it on his radio show.
And what's worse is that the Sunoco across the street is about 70 cents cheaper. I know that Exxon has a garage, but I can't think of any reason for a) anyone to use it or b) for them to have had such high prices for years and have not had anyone get on their case.
Exxons in general in DC proper seem to always be high. The Exxons at Connecticut & Nebraska and Connecticut & Porter always are 20-30 cents/gallon more than everyone else in DC. Save for the one on Wisconsin in Bethesda that does Full Service for a $2/gallon surcharge, they seem a lot more tame in the suburbs even as close as the East-West & Colesville location in Silver Spring.
IIRC, the traffic pattern in that area is such that making a u-turn to get to the less expensive station and then continuing in the same direction is impossible or pretty close to it. There aren't many other stations in that area, too.
The Exxon at Glen Echo is also very expensive, but there aren't any other stations near it.
On Monday, April 11, 2011 I paid $4.15 per gallon for ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel at the Darnestown Shell Station at Rt. 28 and Quince Orchard Road. This was still 4 cents per gallon less than premium gasoline which was selling for $4.19. Lucky me!
These prices make me more grateful for my Honda Civic. It barely sips fuel, but I gotta shift my own gears:-).
Quote from: WayneNYC on April 13, 2011, 12:19:02 AM
These prices make me more grateful for my Honda Civic. It barely sips fuel, but I gotta shift my own gears:-).
Looks like we are both on the same page (lol). I had these high prices in mind when I purchased my VW Jetta diesel which gets between 37 & 50 mpg depending on the type of driving.
Yeah I'm feeling the pain right now, my car gets anywhere between 10-14 mpg. I just paid $65, at $3.99 a gallon to fill up my tank. Good thing I only fill up once every 4 weeks or so.
With that kind of mileage, I'm almost afraid to ask: what kind of car do you drive?
I drive a 2003 6" stretched Ford Crown Victoria with almost 200,000 miles on the original powertrain.
Quote from: WMATAGMOAGH on April 05, 2011, 11:37:05 AM
IIRC, the traffic pattern in that area is such that making a u-turn to get to the less expensive station and then continuing in the same direction is impossible or pretty close to it. There aren't many other stations in that area, too.
Virginia Ave Exxon is now at $5.09 for a gallon of unleaded. The Sunoco down the street is nearly a dollar cheaper.
Upon further investigation, it seems that that Exxon gets most of its money from those filling cars on government expense accounts rather than out of pocket. Why bother keeping a decent cost when someone else is footing the bill. Few people paying out of pocket + high prices = profit, especially since the only way any sane person should go there is if their gas tank is on fumes.
It's a similar principle to why Fairfax Connector hiked the 595/597 fare so high. If you're getting indirect government funds, why not try to get as much as possible?
And then I think the sane person would only get enough gas to make it to a cheaper gas station.
All of our discussion about the Watergate Exxon, and WTOP commentator Chris Core talked about it in his commentary:
http://media.bonnint.net/wtop/21/2159/215974.mp3
He finds its prices amazing, too. I should Email Chris and point him at our discussion...
On Thursday, May 19, 2011 I found diesel fuel for $3.99 per gallon (hoorah!) at both the Shell and Liberty stations located in Rockville at Route 355 and Rollins Avenue. The price was the same as regular gas! With my Giant card I obtained the fuel for $3.79 per gallon which is the lowest price I have paid for diesel fuel in about 2 months.