Chicago's Gas Prices Highest In U.S.

Some Chicagoans are heading to the suburbs to fill up their tanks, as gas prices continue to climb in the city limits.

According to the latest Lundberg Survey of fuel prices, Chicago has the highest gas prices in the contiguous United States. While the average price of gas reportedly rose by 12 cents in the past two weeks, Chicago is well above the national average--paying about $4.27 per gallon.

Many Chicagoans are paying more than that, however. Chicagogasprices.com reports that a Northwest Side BP station is charging $4.69 per regular gallon, and prices remain in the $4.30-$4.50 range throughout much of the city.

“That's why I'm only putting 10-bucks in here and then going up to the suburbs in Lake County and put the rest, that's my plan right now,” Chicagoan Mark Jacobsen told Fox Chicago.

Prices in the suburbs range from $4.07 per gallon at the Costco station in Melrose Park to the $4.20 range in some southwest suburbs, according to Chicagogasprices.com.

President Obama discussed the issue of high gas prices in his weekly address, and told donors in Los Angeles that prices at the pump have quite an impact on his polling numbers.

"These gas prices are killing you right now," Obama said at Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto, acknowledging that many Americans can't afford new fuel-efficient cars and must drive older models.. For some, he said, the cost of a fill-up has all but erased the benefit of the payroll tax holiday that he and congressional Republicans agreed on last December.

Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk pitched some ideas for alleviating pain at the pump in Illinois last week. He said exploring natural gas supplies, speeding up the offshore drilling permit process in the Gulf of Mexico and easing federal regulation would bring down prices quickly.

"If the market saw Congress moving in this bipartisan direction, it would see larger supplies in the future and that would directly affect the futures market. The price of gasoline right now is artificially high because the markets see a constriction of supply," Kirk said, according to WBEZ.

The Associated Press reports that the latest Lundberg Survey puts the average price for a gallon of regular gas at $3.88, as of April 22. The national average for a gallon of mid-grade is $4.02, and $4.13 a gallon for premium.

Comments

[Bluedanube]

06:33 AM on 04/26/2011

Oil speculators must be given the opportunity for realizing the "American Dream" while the "public" pays the price. It's a "Me" society not a "We" society.

[RitaS]

02:41 AM on 04/26/2011

Hmm... Speculators hungry for a buck no matter what & the Money/Making Corporations wanting 'profit' above all else....

Oh, yes, PLEASE tell me how the Avg 98% + the President will be able even remotely capable of fighting this?

[kawika]

01:57 AM on 04/26/2011

Try Hawaii...Chicago's prices are cheaper than here.

[ben616]

03:27 AM on 04/26/2011

You live on top of a volcano!
Sh*t is gonna be expensive.

[i the ys]

04:42 AM on 04/26/2011

Papaya - 6 for a dollar. Gas $4.55

[ejhickey]

11:09 PM on 04/25/2011

At least we are # 1 in something.

[corwin]

10:40 PM on 04/25/2011

Is this a plot by the Illinois Democratic Party to keep Smart People from leaving the state? Making it so expensive,they'll stay and provide jobs for the ,um,"Non Smart" ?

[greenie 61]

02:19 AM on 04/26/2011

You're still here, spouting the same BS day after day. When ya leaving? Not soon enough, I'm sure.

[DeanWormer]

10:24 PM on 04/25/2011

Obama and rahm taking care of their city.

[soitgoes12]

08:17 PM on 04/25/2011

Have we reached peak oil?

http://www.theoildrum.com/node/7282
 http://www.oilcrisis.com/

21 Billion barrels:  The amount of proven reserves in the US (1.5% of total worldwide reserves)
(US only has 5% of the proven gas reserves)
http://www.eia.doe.gov/international/reserves.html

Oil supply was at an all time high in February.. although it did drop slightly in March and April

http://nextbigfuture.com/2011/04/iea-reports-that-world-oil-supply-rose.html

[soitgoes12]

08:19 PM on 04/25/2011

Saudi recently cut back by 800,000 barrels a day

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/22/saudi-cut-in-oil-production-stirs-speculation/?partner=rss&emc=rss

[soitgoes12]

08:23 PM on 04/25/2011

They know they still have 10 times the amount of oil as we do and therefore they control the price.... no amount of dr.ill baby dr.ill is going to change that.

[Fubeca]

06:17 PM on 04/25/2011

Where Pelosi, Boxer, and every other person that criticized Bush when taxes went over $3.00??? Why so quiet now!

HYPOCRITES!!!!

[i the ys]

04:45 AM on 04/26/2011

What ARE you talking about?

[marywooo]

06:07 PM on 04/25/2011

5$ gas..It is really quite unfair to criticize the President for the only campaign promise he has actually kept.

[Fubeca]

06:19 PM on 04/25/2011

Good thing we have given money to Brazil "PetroBras" to drill where he banned our own oil folks from drilling! THANKS BIG O!!!

[soitgoes12]

08:11 PM on 04/25/2011

How many times have you posted this?

[marywooo]

06:03 PM on 04/25/2011

My dog told me he'll never vote for Obama again, yet he still chases the pretend ball I pretend to throw..

[Vegasyankee]

06:02 PM on 04/25/2011

Finally!!

A names for those responsible - Ben Bernanke and The Federal Government

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/97566/20110105/qe2-is-responsible-for-higher-oil-prices-xie.htm

http://oilandglory.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/03/31/the_fed_and_why_105_oil_prices_may_be_a_bubble

Blame everyone you want to Obama, this country is on to you.

[pistol13]

05:40 PM on 04/25/2011

I'm sure Obama and his cohorts are trying to figure some way to blame Bush. That boat won't float. This on his watch and remember he stated the cost os energy under his plan would "necessarily skyrocket". That has to be good news for the low income and fixed income people, because they will be able to spend more on food and other commodities as well as gas. Wow, the Democrats sure are a party of the people. No drilling in the Gulf, off the coasts or in Alaska, and giving $2billion to Brazil to drill deeper thatn we were drilling so we can be one of their best customers. Wake up America!! You are being sold down the river to foreign oil countries.

[fuelie]

05:18 PM on 04/25/2011

Hawaii is the same or not far behind and depending on what island, higher.

http://www.honolulugasprices.com/

[mxytsplyk]

05:25 PM on 04/25/2011

Slightly higher on the Big Island, around $4.70-ish

[lemma12]

05:36 PM on 04/25/2011

Actually, Honolulu's average is $4.42. But, then again, it seems most people don't think Hawaii is part of America anyway.

[alanShepard]

05:57 PM on 04/25/2011

Amen to that. We passed 4.27 couple week ago. Everyone wen forget about Hawaii.

[ben616]

03:29 AM on 04/26/2011

A lot of people think a lot of things about Hawaii.

[bluejoni2525]

05:07 PM on 04/25/2011

Outlaw the taking of "paper barrels" by the speculators !!! Make them take possession or NO playing in the futures market !!

[TMc73]

07:43 AM on 04/26/2011

Take it one step further...

Stop the nonsense by slamming the speculators with a major 'windfall' tax if the trading price exceeds twice the rate of inflation on the given commodity (oil, grain, etc...)

Commodities are the items that we need to LIVE, not stock and bonds.

Letting individuals reap major profits while driving the price upwards is placing an undue burden on the average citizen.

Something needs to be done.

[practical]

05:06 PM on 04/25/2011

who know "hope and change" meant doubling of gas prices......lol

[media4me2]

05:09 PM on 04/25/2011

Alot of us did. Prez obie said so.

[smahl]

05:13 PM on 04/25/2011

And why is this funny? Please explain.

[practical]

09:09 AM on 04/26/2011

not so much I guess funny that is is ironic. "hope and change" sounds like a good thing right ? now that is funny !