When Is the Best Time to Get Gas? A Strategic Guide to Reducing Fuel Costs

As summer approaches, motorists face an ongoing challenge: rising fuel expenses. While many drivers rely on gas apps or loyalty programs to save money, few realize that the best time to get gas extends beyond just finding the cheapest station. The timing of your refueling strategy can significantly impact your wallet over the long term.

Strategic Timing: Early Morning and Evening Hours Offer an Advantage

One of the most overlooked cost-saving techniques involves understanding how fuel behaves physically at the pump. When you refuel during cooler parts of the day—either in the early morning or late evening—you’re capitalizing on a scientific principle that works in your favor.

Gasoline expands when exposed to heat. If you’re refueling during peak afternoon temperatures, the fuel stored in pumps experiences thermal expansion, meaning the liquid takes up more space but delivers less actual volume to your tank. Conversely, cooler conditions cause fuel to contract slightly, allowing you to receive more fuel for the same price. While the underground storage tanks experience minimal temperature fluctuation, pump handles that have been baking in direct sunlight can still cause measurable expansion in the fuel itself.

This temperature-driven advantage compounds over time. While the per-fill savings might seem modest, consistent early-morning refueling habits create noticeable annual reductions in fuel spending.

Timing Matters: The Weekly Price Cycle

Data analysis from major fuel-tracking platforms reveals that gasoline prices follow predictable weekly patterns. According to GasBuddy’s extensive pricing database, the best time to get gas extends to choosing the right day of the week as well. Monday consistently emerges as the optimal refueling day, offering the lowest average prices across most markets.

Conversely, Thursday represents the least favorable day for purchasing fuel, typically showing the highest weekly prices. This pattern reflects market dynamics, speculative trading, and consumer demand cycles that repeat weekly.

Regional Cost Disparities: Where You Refuel Matters

Fuel prices demonstrate extreme variation based on state-level factors including taxation policies, environmental regulations, and supply chain logistics. Coastal and highly regulated states charge substantially more per gallon. For instance, premium-market states demand $4.50 or higher per gallon, while budget-friendly states average under $3.25 per gallon.

States offering the most affordable fuel include:

• Mississippi
• Arkansas
• Louisiana
• Oklahoma
• Alabama

The price differential between the cheapest and most expensive regions can exceed $1.50 per gallon—a significant consideration for frequent drivers or households managing tight budgets.

Metro Areas: Geographic Sweet Spots for Budget Fuel

Beyond state-level analysis, specific metropolitan regions demonstrate exceptionally competitive fuel pricing. These 10 metro areas currently lead the nation with the lowest average pump prices, hovering near $3.00 per gallon:

• Jonesboro, Arkansas
• Tyler, Texas
• Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi
• Hattiesburg, Mississippi
• Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas
• South Haven-Olive Branch, Mississippi
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
• Longview, Texas
• Waco, Texas

In stark contrast, the most expensive fuel markets cluster in a specific region. The five priciest metropolitan areas are all located in California:

• San Rafael
• Hanford-Corcoran
• Santa Rosa
• San Luis Obispo
• Napa

Drivers in these California markets pay approximately $2.00 more per gallon compared to the nation’s most affordable regions—underscoring the profound impact of geography on fuel costs.

The Summer Fuel Premium: Seasonal Price Inflation

Summer months introduce additional cost pressures beyond typical market fluctuations. Refineries shift to producing summer-grade gasoline blends, which involve more expensive processing and additives designed to reduce emissions in warmer conditions. This seasonal transition increases per-gallon costs by up to $0.15.

Simultaneously, summer driving demand surges as schools close and vacation travel intensifies. Higher consumption pushes prices upward through basic supply-and-demand mechanics. Combined with the thermal expansion issue discussed earlier, summer daytime refueling becomes a triple cost burden: premium-blend pricing, peak seasonal demand, and reduced fuel volume due to heat expansion.

Optimization Strategy: Maximizing Your Savings

While individual drivers cannot influence global fuel pricing or regulatory environments, several controllable factors can meaningfully reduce spending. Refueling during cooler hours—particularly early morning sessions—offers consistent, compounding savings. Timing purchases for Mondays rather than Thursdays aligns with market cycles. For those with geographic flexibility, relocating to or purchasing fuel in lower-cost regions provides substantial long-term savings.

Beyond timing, reducing overall consumption through efficient route planning and minimizing unnecessary trips delivers more dramatic savings than optimizing individual fill-ups. A combination of behavioral adjustments—when and where you refuel—alongside consumption reduction creates the most effective cost management strategy for budget-conscious drivers navigating volatile fuel markets.