Driving This Christmas? 15 Surprising Gas Station Facts
If you have a road trip planned this year, there’s a good chance you’ll find yourself at a gas station at least once or more.
There are thousands of gas stations across the United States offering places to fuel up, get snacks, and use the restroom. Despite the familiarity of gas stations, you may not know much about them.
These are 15 lesser-known facts about gas stations, ranging from the history of filling stations to the price of gasoline. We pulled our information from industry trade associations and news sources.
1: Number of Gas Stations
While it may seem like there’s never a gas station in sight when the fuel light comes on, that’s probably just in your head. There are around 145,000 fueling stations in the United States, according to the NACS, the association for convenience and fuel retailing.
Among those stations, around 120,000 operate as convenience stores. The others include kiosks, grocery stores, and small-volume locations, such as marinas.
2: Average Transactions
When you fuel up at your regular gas station, you might wonder how much gas gets sold there every day. In 2022, the average convenience store sold 3,905 gallons each day.
Among those sales, the average transaction amounts to 7.4 gallons of gas. That makes sense since only 56% of people completely fill up their tanks when fueling.
3: Most People Go Inside
Do you gas up and hit the road, or do you stop inside the store before you leave? The majority of Americans go inside convenience stores when they’re purchasing gas.
Common reasons to go inside include buying items, using the bathroom, or getting cash from ATMs. Some people also pay for their gas purchases at the register.
4: Popular Fueling Times
If you get stuck waiting for an open pump, you might be going to the gas station at the wrong time. Research shows the most popular time to buy gas is between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. About 35% of Americans buy gas at this time.
During the pandemic, fewer people bought gas in the mornings since they were working from home. Those numbers have rebounded now, with about 25% of people purchasing gas between 6 and 10 a.m.
5: Most Drivers Buy Regular
Some people might wonder if they’re supposed to purchase regular or premium gas. While certain cars with high-efficiency engines need premium gas, most vehicles do just fine with regular gas.
That’s reflected in recent data, which shows regular-grade gasoline made up nearly 88% of all sales. Mid-grade fuel is the least popular, only making up 1.2% of total sales.
6: Credit Card Transactions
It’s easy to pay for gas at the pump with a swipe of your credit card. Most Americans seem to agree, as card sales account for the majority of fuel transactions.
About 75% of people pay by card for their gas. That includes both debit and credit card transactions.
7: Gas Station Owners
Many Americans are familiar with names like ExxonMobil, Shell, Chevron, and BP. But just because a gas station has one of these names doesn’t mean it’s owned by that refiner.
Data shows refiners own less than 5% of the retail stations in the country, according to the American Petroleum Institute. Licensed independent retailers own or operate most branded stations.
8: Transportation of Gas
Have you ever stopped to wonder how gas gets delivered to convenience stores and other fueling stations? The process involves more than carrying fuel from refineries to the gas stations.
Typically, petroleum products get transported from refineries to terminals through underground pipelines. Specialty trucks, which can safely transport gas, pick it up from the terminals and deliver it to service stations.
9: Confusing Fraction Prices
If you look closely at gas stations’ pricing boards, you’ll notice the prices often end with a fraction. Usually, it’s an additional nine-tenths of one cent.
This practice started in the early 1900s after states started taxing gas sales. Gas stations, wanting to pass the tax onto customers, began adding nine-tenths of a cent to prices. At the time, gas cost an average of 10 cents per gallon, so adding a full cent was too much of an increase.
10: New Jersey Stands Alone
New Jersey has a unique distinction when it comes to gas stations. It’s the only state in the nation where it’s illegal to pump your own gas.
New Jersey has had its self-service ban on gas since 1949. Until 2023, Oregon also banned self-service stations, but it’s now legal to pump your own gas there.
11: First Filling Station
There are some disputes about where the first gas station in the United States was. According to the NACS, many consider the first station to be the Automobile Gasoline Co., which opened in St. Louis in 1905. Others believe the first gas station opened in Seattle in 1907.
The question of the oldest gas station still in operation, however, has a clear answer. That designation belongs to Reighard’s gas station in Altoona, Pennsylvania, which opened in 1909.
12: Special Nozzles
When you fill your car’s tank up all the way, there’s no need to shut off the nozzle manually. That’s because fuel nozzles use a special technology for automatic shut-off.
The tip of the nozzle has a small hole connected to a pipe leading to the handle. Air flows through this pipe when the tank isn’t full. However, when gasoline starts to block the hole, the vacuum created in the pipe triggers a lever that turns off the nozzle.
13: Owners Prefer Cheap Gas
Many Americans cringe when gas prices climb higher. But some people may not realize that gas station owners feel the same way.
Gas stations purchase gasoline at wholesale prices, and when the cost of gas goes up, the owners can’t increase their prices too much because customers are more likely to shop around for the cheapest gas. In comparison, when prices are low, gas stations can be slower to lower their prices, resulting in increased profits.
14: Most Sold Fuel Brand
Many Americans probably can’t tell the difference between major fuel brands. But there’s one brand that sells more motor oil than the rest.
Shell is the most sold brand of gasoline in the United States, according to Statista data. Other top brands include ExxonMobil, Speedway, Chevron, and BP.
15: Variations in Price
When you’re watching the budget, you might shop around to find the cheapest gas in your area. But have you ever wondered why these price variations exist in the first place?
The major factors impacting gas prices include taxes, fuel blends, and profit margins, according to the NACS. Other factors can include wholesale costs, business locations, and seasonal changes.
9 Times in History When Gas Prices Spiked to Crazy High Levels
The frustration you feel when pulling up to the pump and seeing a higher price is nothing new. Gas prices have had peaks and valleys since World War II, and they’ve disrupted Americans’ lives many times.
9 Times in History When Gas Prices Spiked to Crazy High Levels
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