This article is a farce. We may only present three scenarios where one may be unable to buy cheap gas at Houston, Texas. One, the consumer is feverishly seeking fuel per an impending Gulf Coast hurricane evacuation. Two, the individual is oblivious to saving money. Three, the person is a totally incompetent imbecile.
Houston is the energy capital of the world and the perfect storm for cheap gas.
Houstonians must recognize that outsiders will balk at any Texan crying Uncle over “expensive” gas. Currently, Chicagoans, New Yorkers, and California motorists routinely pony up $3.30 for regular unleaded, and would incite rioting over the prospects of buying $2.50 gas at the local level.
The crown jewel of Texas is home to Anadarko Petroleum, Conoco Phillips, Halliburton, Marathon Oil, and Pennzoil. Of course, godfather ExxonMobil is just up the road at Irving. We recognize the fact that oil, gas, and energy built the Lone Star State and America’s fourth largest metropolis.
Houston’s centralized proximity to outrageously prolific East Texas, Permian Basin, and Gulf of Mexico oil fields and refineries is a boon to growth. Logically, Austin remains friendly to Big Oil and energy consumption. Texas taxes gasoline at the flat 20 cents per gallon rate. The State dismisses the additional storage tank fees and environmental cleanup revenue levies, which drive up prices at the pump in other municipalities.
Lastly, in terms of cheap gas, Houston remains the largest U.S. city that lacks legislated zoning practices. The abundance of land and requisite sprawl promulgates Houston’s status as the ultimate haven for affordable real estate. These minimal property and commercial real estate costs are passed onto the consumer at the filling station.
The Houston matrix is tremendously ideal for gasoline costs. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, Clutch City regular grade unleaded prices average $2.430, and dramatically undercut the June 29, 2009 National $2.642 reading. Houston, TX features the lowest gas price statistic of any major city.
Still, I must speculate that Houston’s abject lack of walk ability and over reliance upon freeways, stack interchanges, and the automobile to move traffic are the only shortfalls of the Houston gas equation. Everything is bigger in Texas, including the Interstate Highway, and the price action will move accordingly in reference to these massive conduits.
This guide will proceed to explore the prospects of securing gas that is ever more cheap per Houston standards. We shall begin by introducing flash points for higher priced Houston fuel, before closing out this article with viable solutions to the cheap gas proposal.
Ironically, the bulk of our presentation is more so based upon where not to buy gas in Houston, TX under any circumstances.
Where NOT to Buy Gas in Houston
Never buy gas directly off any U.S. 59 / Southwest Freeway junction in Houston.
Per 59, gas is particularly expensive at the 610 Loop and downtown. The critical 610 and 59 interchange marks the gateway to Uptown, which is a mixed-use neighborhood featuring commercial office space, nightlife, gleaming residential developments, and the sweeping Galleria shopping mall. Motorists will pay up for this exclusive convenience at the Chimney Rock Road junction.
Shell is moving gas for $2.61 at Chimney Rock Road and U.S. 59.
The company outdoes itself downtown and offers regular unleaded gasoline for $2.69 at 2003 Pease Street. This location stands within the shadows of 59 and IH 45 / Gulf Freeway, Minute Maid Park, and the Toyota Center. Still, buying and selling $2.60+ gas at any Houston filling station is a joke.
First, Chevron and Exxon are both peddling $2.45 gas at Chimney Rock and Westheimer Road, which is less than one mile north of the $2.61 Uptown Shell. Secondly, the downtown Texaco at Fannin and Gray is underselling the aforementioned Shell by 20 cents.
Cheap gas in Houston is the rule, not the exception.
Where to Buy Cheap Gas in Houston
Take your pick.
Houston gas is cheap anywhere between Beltway 8 and Loop 610, 1-2 miles away from the critical junctions of these ring roads. Smart consumers must recognize that Harris County gas prices spike immediately at all filling stations that are conveniently positioned adjacent to freeway service drives and ramps. The price action is logical, given the fact that Beltway 8 and Loop 610 are vital traffic arteries that funnel increased gas demand towards their particular right of ways.
Houston proper, between the Belts, is identified with suburban sprawl and minimal population density. Texans will typically purchase the cheapest gas within areas that lay perfectly equidistant from 8 and 610. Let us highlight IH-10 / Katy – Baytown East freeway as an example.
Gas prices at the 18-lane Katy Freeway begin at $2.49 at Kirkwood Road Shell near Beltway 8, plunge towards $2.30 between the Belts, and then surge to $2.59 at the Memorial Drive and Loop 610 Shell. This action is similar along IH-10 / East Freeway. Prices downshift from $2.43 to $2.39 heading east from 610, before ramping back up towards $2.50 at East Freeway exits approaching Beltway 8 in Cloverleaf, TX.
Cheap gas is for sale at $2.30 to $2.40 between Beltway 8 and I-610 in all directions.
Inside the Loop, prices fall on the North Side of town. The most convenient zone abuts IH-45 / North Freeway at Northside Village, just outside of downtown. Exxon is peddling cheap gas for $2.37 at the Cavalcade and N. Main Street exits, directly off the freeway.
Cheap gas is the rule in Houston.
Where to Buy Cheap Gas in Houston, Texas, Sources:
The City of Houston, http://www.houstontx.gov/
Houston Gas Prices, http://www.houstongasprices.com/
Automotive.com, Houston Gas Prices, http://www.automotive.com/gas-prices/33/texas/harris/houston/index.html
Reference:
- www.houstongasprices.com/
- www.houstontx.gov/
- www.automotive.com/gas-prices/33/texas/harris/houston/index.html
