Chicago Gas Prices
Current average fuel prices for Chicago, sourced from the U.S. Energy Information Administration's weekly retail survey, plus a calculator prefilled with the local price.
Weekly price trend, regular gasoline
View regular gasoline trend as a table
| Week of | Price per gallon |
|---|---|
| Jun 1 | $4.659 |
| Jun 8 | $4.422 |
| Jun 15 | $4.258 |
| Jun 22 | $4.079 |
| Jun 29 | $4.016 |
| Jul 6 | $3.893 |
| Jul 13 | $3.982 |
| Jul 20 | $4.032 |
What shapes the price in Chicago
Chicago gas prices are notorious for being the highest in the Midwest, frequently rivaling West Coast prices. This is caused by overlapping layers of taxation: on top of Illinois's 45.4-cent state fuel tax, Cook County adds an additional 6 cents per gallon, and the City of Chicago levies its own 8-cent municipal tax, in addition to local sales taxes. Furthermore, EPA Clean Air Act rules require the Chicago metropolitan area to burn specialized Reformulated Gasoline (RFG), which costs more to refine than standard fuel used across downstate Illinois and Indiana.
U.S. retail gasoline prices follow a reliable seasonal cycle. Prices typically rise between February and May as refineries conduct scheduled seasonal maintenance (turnarounds) and switch production from winter-grade fuel to more expensive, low-RVP (Reid Vapor Pressure) summer blends designed to reduce ground-level smog in hot weather. Increased summer vacation driving further boosts demand. Conversely, prices typically soften following Labor Day as refiners transition back to lower-cost winter blends containing inexpensive butane, alongside lower cold-weather driving demand.
Calculate your fuel cost in Chicago
Calculator Parameters
This is an estimated default price. Automatic price detection only applies to visitors in the United States. Everyone else can select their own currency and enter a local price below for an accurate result.
Enter total travelers to split gas cost fairly.
Your Calculation Results
High Consumption (> 8.5 L/100km)- Total Fuel Needed (for this trip)
- 8.88 US gallons (33.6 liters total)
- Total Fuel Cost (for this trip)
- $35.77
- Cost breakdown per distance unit
- $0.576 per mile • $0.358 per km
Fuel economy in every unit
- L/100km
- 33.6
- MPG US
- 7.0
- MPG UK
- 8.4
- km/L
- 3.0
The fuel calculator above is prefilled with Chicago's current regular gasoline price. If your vehicle requires high-octane premium or runs on diesel, replace the default price with the corresponding regional price above to see your exact cost per mile and total trip fuel expense.
Calculate trip fuel costs from Chicago
Planning a driving route? See exact distances, vehicle consumption comparisons, and trip gas costs for routes connecting through Chicago:
Driving an EV instead?
Drivers operating an electric vehicle (EV) are not directly impacted by gasoline or diesel pump prices. Instead, EV charging costs depend on local residential and public electricity rates measured in cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). To evaluate how electricity costs compare to gasoline in this region, use our EV versus Gas Comparator.
Open the EV versus gas comparatorLast updated July 24, 2026 at 8:38 AM UTC. Prices are refreshed from U.S. EIA weekly retail survey data.
Frequently asked questions
Chicago drivers pay layered taxes that exist nowhere else in the Midwest: state fuel excise tax (45.4¢), Cook County tax (6¢), City of Chicago motor fuel tax (8¢), plus county and municipal sales taxes. Furthermore, Chicago stations must sell EPA Reformulated Gasoline (RFG).
Yes. Crossing the state line into Northwest Indiana (Hammond, Gary) often saves drivers 40 to 60 cents per gallon due to Indiana's lower combined fuel tax structure and absence of Cook County surcharges.
Chicago is supplied primarily by the massive BP Whiting refinery located just across the state line in Northwest Indiana, alongside the ExxonMobil Joliet refinery in southwest Chicagoland.
Premium gasoline has a higher octane rating (91 to 93 AKI), which prevents premature engine knock in high-compression and turbocharged engines. Producing high octane requires additional refinery processing steps such as catalytic alkylation and reforming, and retailers price it with wider retail margins, resulting in a consistent 50 to 70 cent premium over regular.
Price figures for Chicago are derived from the U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) official retail survey, updated on a weekly schedule. Individual street-corner stations adjust their posted board prices daily based on wholesale rack spot price shifts.