Community Corner

Memorial Day: Where's the Cheapest Gas in Oakton?

Use this gas price locator tool to find the lowest price right now. Pro tip: Gas up early this weekend to save money.

by Virginia Patch Staff

Gas prices were predicted to be lower this summer across the United States compared to the last three years, but that won't translate into savings at the pump this Memorial Day weekend, experts said.

"Motorists this year are facing rising gas prices heading into the Memorial Day holiday," said Michael Green, a AAA spokesman, adding that Memorial Day 2013 would probably be the most expensive since 2011.

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  • See: Gas Prices Up in Northern Virginia Ahead of Memorial Day 

In past years, prices have declined heading into early summer as oil refineries produced more gasoline to meet expected summer driving demand. This year, though, Midwest refineries haven't been able to produce as much gas, which has pushed prices up.

"If you can gas up today to prepare for your Memorial Day driving, do so," said Chuck Bonner, the lead analyst for GasPredictor.com.

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The cheapest place to get gas in Vienna on Friday was $3.69 at the Sunoco at 2961 Hunter Mill Rd near near Chain Bridge Rd. The priciest: $3.79 at the Exxon at 2957 Chain Bridge Rd near Miller Rd.

"Retail gas prices should have stabilized in the Midwest, but will continue rising on the East Coast, West Coast, and Gulf Coast," Bonner said. "Some areas will see fairly dramatic increases like the double-digit price hikes that most Midwest cities have already seen in the past week."

Average gas prices shot up 44 cents a gallon in Minnesota and 36 cents a gallon in Iowa over the past week, Green said. Motorists in the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and Saint Paul were paying as much as $4.33 per gallon, acoording to GasBuddy.com.

"This is one of the more volatile Memorial Day weekends that I can remember," Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst at GasBuddy.com, told Patch.

While you can't control the price at the pump, you might be able to control how much gas your car burns. AAA offered these tips:

  • Properly inflate your tires
  • Avoid flooring the accelerator and slamming on the brakes
  • Drive the speed limit
  • Keep up-to-date on routine vehicle maintenence


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