Summer Gas Prices: What Chicago-Area Counties Let You Fill Up On The Cheap?

CHICAGO, IL — Call it the circle of life for the summer vacation season: Warm weather means US travelers itching to hit the open road during their off time, and that increase in demand translates into an increase at the gas pump. But Illinois is bucking the national trend of higher gas prices, seeing a drop in the average price to fill up, according to AAA Chicago. In fact, the state's average fuel rate is the lowest in more than a decade, the national motor club says.

As June gets under way, the average price for a gallon of self-serve, regular unleaded gas in Illinois is $2.40, a 3-cent decrease in the average price from both last month and the same time last year, according to stats released by AAA on Monday. The national average is $2.38, a cost that has remained relatively unchanged since last month and up only slightly since a year ago. For comparison, neighborhing Indiana — a state that historically is cheaper at the pump than Illinois — had an average gas price of $2.37, a rate that was 13 cents more than May's average, but the same as the 2016 price. (Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news for Chicago — or your neighborhood. And iPhone users: Check out Patch's new app.)

At the local level, the average gas price for Chicago is $2.78, a cost that hasn't changed much since last month, according to AAA. It is, however, a 5-cent decrease from the city's average a year ago during the same time. For the larger Chicago metro area, the average price is $2.51, which is a cent more than last month's average, but 17 cents less than the average from 2016.

Coincidentally, the last time the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded in Illinois was this low going into a summer another US president was in the first year of his first term. President Barack Obama had barely begun his time in office June 6, 2005, when the average price of gas in Illinois was $2.13, according to Beth Mosher, public affairs director for AAA Chicago. A mild spring, high supply and stable oil rates are the reasons drivers will have a few extra bucks after topping off their tanks, she added.

But consumers shouldn't get too comfortable with that lower average, Mosher says. Pump prices are still at the mercy of customer demand, oil refinery issues and other factors that can create fluctuations between now and Labor Day.

“Nationally, the demand for gasoline as the summer driving season kicks in has caused an uptick in gas prices,” Mosher said in the AAA statement. “While Illinois and Indiana prices have been fairly stable, they could follow the national trend and rise in the coming weeks due to higher demand.”

Here's a look at the average gas prices for Chicago-area counties for May of 2017, according to AAA (go to the motor club's website for the average gas prices for select cities across the state):

Cook County

• Average gas price for May 2017: $2.64
• Monthly change: Decrease (7 cents)
• Annual change: Decrease (3 cents)

DuPage County

• Average gas price for May 2017: $2.46
• Monthly change: Decrease (7 cents)
• Annual change: Increase (2 cents)

Kane County

• Average gas price for May 2017: $2.43
• Monthly change: Decrease (8 cents)
• Annual change: Decrease (1 cent)

Lake County

• Average gas price for May 2017: $2.41
• Monthly change: Decrease (7 cents)
• Annual change: Decrease (1 cent)

McHenry County

• Average gas price for May 2017: $2.39
• Monthly change: Decrease (9 cents)
• Annual change: Increase (1 cent)

Will County

• Average gas price for May 2017: $2.42
• Monthly change: Decrease (8 cents)
• Annual change: Increase (1 cent)

YOUR TURN: Where are the cheapest gas pumps in your neck of the woods? Share the locations of the area gas stations you go to in order to fil up your tank without spending a fortune in the comments section.

Photo via Patch archive

Like What You're Reading? Stay Patched In!

• Like our Crime page on Facebook
• Check out the Events Calendar for what’s going on