New Study Reveals Evening as Most Common Time to Purchase Gasoline in Most US States, But There Are a Few Outliers

Boston, MA, Sept. 16, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — GasBuddy, the leading fuel savings platform providing North American drivers with the most ways to save money on gas, released findings of a new study today revealing the most popular times of day drivers in each state fill up. The study analyzed Pay with GasBuddy fuel purchasing data* to determine the most frequent time drivers in all 50 U.S. states bought fuel.

Key findings include:

Drivers in most states buy gas between 4 and 5 p.m.

People in twenty-four states, including California, Florida and Louisiana, most frequently purchase gasoline between 5-6 p.m. Another 23 states, like Alabama, Arizona and Oregon purchased fuel most frequently between 4-5 p.m., according to GasBuddy data. Across the U.S., Friday is the most popular day to fill up, with 15.9 percent of weekly sales. 

West Virginians are early risers

While the majority of states fill up in the evening, West Virginians prefer to fill their tanks mid-morning, purchasing the most fuel between 10-11 a.m. 8.3 percent of West Virginian fuel sales happen between 10-11 a.m., more than any other hour of the day. According to Pay with GasBuddy data, 28 percent of West Virginians buy fuel before noon.

Virginians fill up with a mid-afternoon snack

Another outlier from the after-work standard – drivers in Virginia purchase the most gas during the 3 p.m. hour, while 32 percent of Virginians purchase gas between noon and 3 p.m., with 8.6 percent of fuel sales occurring between 3-4 p.m. The hours of 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. were close behind, with 8.38 and 8.58 percent of sales, respectively. 

Montana drivers pump gas on their lunch break

Motorists in the Big Sky State purchased the most gas during the noon hour in 2021. However, in 2020 the most frequent fill up time in Montana was 3-4 p.m., and it was 5-6 p.m. in 2019. Could lifestyle changes from the pandemic have created a lasting trend? According to Pay with GasBuddy data, 31.7 percent of people in Montana now fill up their tanks between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

“In order to save the most money on fuel, drivers should pay attention to the time of day and day of the week they fill up,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy. “By avoiding peak fill up times, Americans could save millions of dollars – not to mention avoid waiting in dreaded gas station lines.” 

*Data is representative of trends from April 1, 2021 to May 31, 2021.

About GasBuddy

GasBuddy is the leading fuel savings platform providing North American drivers with the most ways to save money on gas. GasBuddy has delivered more than $3 billion in cumulative savings to its users through providing real-time gas price information at 150,000+ stations, offering cash back rewards on purchases with brand partners, and through the Pay with GasBuddy™ payments card that offers cents-off per gallon at virtually all gas stations across the US. As one of the most highly-rated apps in the history of the App Store, GasBuddy has been downloaded nearly 100 million times. Acquired by PDI Software in 2021, GasBuddy’s publishing and software businesses enable the world’s leading fuel, convenience, QSR and CPG companies to shorten the distance between the fueling public and their brands. For more information, visit www.gasbuddy.com.