How far is it worth driving for cheaper gas?
A saving of $2.40 on 12 gal is used up by a round trip of 17.2 miles at today's average price, and 17.4 miles at DataSnack's number for seven days from now.
Fuel only, with the detour's miles burned at the car's usual economy.
- Now: 17.2 miles
- In seven days: 17.4 miles
The working
The round trip, in miles, at which the fuel burned getting to a cheaper station costs as much as the saving at the pump.
| Step | Expression | Now | In seven days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saving at the pump | `gap gallons` | $2.40 | $2.40 |
| Fuel cost per mile | `gas / mpg` | $0.140 | $0.138 |
| Round trip that uses up the saving | `saving / permile` | 17.2 miles | 17.4 miles |
Each name in an expression is an input below or an earlier step.
What this runs on
DataSnack's models
- `gas`: Gasoline at the pump, $3.908 per gal now (2026-11-12), $3.870 per gal in seven days
Your assumptions
- `gap`: Price gap at the cheaper station, $0.20 per gal (change it on the page)
- `gallons`: Gallons bought, 12 gal (change it on the page)
- `mpg`: Fuel economy, 28 mpg (change it on the page)
Every model here is graded in public. Download the workbook and rebuild it.
What this cannot tell you
It counts no time, wear or tolls, and the cheaper station's price is taken as given.
The record
This is a calculation, not a forecast. It is recomputed every day and its history is below.
Data: CSV · JSON · Workbook (Excel)
Canonical: https://datasnack.ai/q/drive-for-cheaper-gas · Updated 13 Nov 2026 12:00 UTC · DataSnack forecasts are analysis, not investment advice.