Sheetz Cuts Gas Prices To Under $4 For July 4 Weekend

MARYLAND — With the average price for gas at $4.83 a gallon on Tuesday and nearly a million Marylanders expected to drive for the July 4 holiday, Sheetz gas stations statewide have lowered the price of two of its gasolines through the weekend.

The price for unleaded 88 gas will hold at $3.99 a gallon. The convenience store chain has lowered the price of its E85 gas to $3.49 a gallon.

"Unleaded 88 is approved by the EPA for use in vehicles for model years 2001 or newer as well as light-duty trucks, SUVs and Flex Fuel Vehicles," the gas station chain said in a statement.

More than 977, 460 Marylanders are expected to travel 50 miles or more for the Independence Day holiday, up 2.1 percent from last year, AAA Mid-Atlantic said in a news release Tuesday.

Despite high gas prices, 90 percent of Maryland travelers — nearly 880,000 — will hit the road, a slight increase over last year’s Independence Day holiday auto travel, AAA said.

The holiday period runs June 30 through July 4.

“Nationally, automobile travel is expected to set a new record with 42 million Americans expected to hit the roads this Independence Holiday weekend,” said Ragina Cooper Ali, spokesperson for AAA in Maryland and Washington, D.C. “The number of road travelers includes nearly 880,000 Marylanders, which is a slight increase compared to those who drove to their holiday destinations last year, and is strong considering record high gas prices for the holiday.”

E85 contains more ethanol — 51 percent to 83 percent — and is not compatible with all vehicles. It is designed specifically for flexible fuel vehicles, or FFVs.

When available, E85 is clearly designated as a different fuel type and should not be used in standard vehicles. Drivers should check their owner’s manual to see if your car is able to run with E85.

Gas prices have been dropping in Maryland and across the country over the past couple weeks. The average price of regular unleaded gasoline dropped for the second straight week last week, according to new data from GasBuddy.

The current average price of regular gasoline in the country is $4.88 a gallon, AAA said.

In Maryland, the average price of regular gasoline is down 11 cents from $4.94 a gallon a week ago, according to AAA. But the cost is 30 cents higher than the $4.58 price of a month ago.