Chicago gas pumps peak painfully as holiday weekend approaches

Otis Matthews pumps gas into his car at the Valero gas station on Riverside Drive and Montopolis Drive on Monday, May 16, 2022. Average gasoline prices have jumped above $4 a gallon in Austin for the first time as fuel costs reach record highs in Texas and nationwide. Photo credit USA Today

By Steve Miller

(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — With the unofficial summer driving season beginning this weekend, drivers might want to map out their plans based on gasoline prices.

“It’s going to be the most expensive summer we’ve ever encountered in Chicago,” Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at Gas Buddy, said Monday.

“If you’re hitting the road, watch out for coming back to the state. Prices are generally much higher in Chicago.”

He said filling up in Indiana or Wisconsin could save an Illinois motorist significantly.

De Haan says he sees this summer as being “very painful,” with no long-term relief in sight.

The average price of regular gas in the Chicago area is $5.23 a gallon, about 13 cents higher than a week ago.