Drivers filling up over the Fourth of July weekend in Southwest Chicago will find a $1.92 spread between the cheapest and most expensive stations in the area, according to a survey of pricing data at 47 stations conducted on Thursday.
The lowest price was $3.67 per gallon of regular unleaded at Costco, 7300 S. Cicero Ave. in Bedford Park. Marathon at 3541 S. California Ave. and BP at 4701 S. Central Ave. in Stickney both charged $3.79. Two Gas N Wash locations — 5641 W. 65th St. in Bedford Park and 4901 S. Central Ave. in Stickney — were at $3.89.
The most expensive stations clustered along inner-city commercial corridors on the Southwest Side. A CITGO at 2800 W. 63rd St. posted the highest price at $5.59, followed by a CITGO at 3645 W. 79th St. at $5.29 and a Phillips 66 at 3901 W. 63rd St. at $5.19.
The area average across all 47 stations was $4.40. The cheapest stations were concentrated in Bedford Park and Stickney, just outside Chicago city limits.
For drivers with a 15-gallon tank, choosing the cheapest station over the most expensive would save nearly $29.
Prices have declined from earlier in the season. The area average hit $5.14 on May 25 before falling through June. By June 22, the average had dropped to $4.20. Thursday’s reading of $4.16 suggests prices have largely stabilized heading into the holiday weekend, though they remain well above the $3.47 recorded in late May before the surge.