Needles, CA gas prices ... What a difference a couple of miles makes!

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Lou Schneider

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Today I drove from Pahrump, NV to Needles, CA to get some paperwork done at their friendly DMV office.

I filled up in Pahrump for $2.219 per gallon (regular).  Las Vegas gas prices ranged from $2.31 to $2.59 per gallon.  I passed them by.

Arriving in Needles, Shell, Mobil and Chevron wanted $3.799 per gallon.

I did my business at the DMV, then headed north across the river into Arizona on US 95.

A half mile north of the bridge was a Mobil station at $2.799 per gallon ... a full buck a gallon less than on the CA side of the river.

Another half mile north was an Arco selling regular for $2.049.  I stuffed both the motorhome's and the toad's tanks.  ;D  ;D
 
Needles has ALWAYS been the gas ripoff capital, and not because of California's gas tax but just because they can get away with it. Tires and auto repairs in Needles are also ripoffs.
 
Wendy said:
Needles has ALWAYS been the gas ripoff capital, and not because of California's gas tax but just because they can get away with it. Tires and auto repairs in Needles are also ripoffs.
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I agree. There is a station on the east exit that try's to tell you your tires are bad. 

The gas has always been sky high in that area.
 
We drove there on a day trip out of Quartzsite last month. Diesel prices were above $3.79 at one place, and over $4.00 at another! Like the others, we crossed the border and prices got reasonable. I did note Needles was significantly more than the other California border towns we went to, so I guess they just have their audience dialed in. They couldn't keep such prices if people didn't buy at them.
 
Just left there.  Gas is always cheaper just across the river.

We saw an independent station on Tribal land, AZ side of the river, at $1.97 for unleaded.
 
[quote author=Wendy]Needles has ALWAYS been the gas ripoff capital, and not because of California's gas tax but just because they can get away with it.[/quote]

Lou previously explained that Needles was the furthest stop in CA for gas deliveries, and thus the high prices.
 
Tom said:
Lou previously explained that Needles was the furthest stop in CA for gas deliveries, and thus the high prices.
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Hmmm, don't see that in this thread. But my post was partly about the high gas prices in Needles not being caused solely by California taxes. And Needles isn't far enough at the end of the gas supply line to account for $1+ per gallon more than, say, Blythe. Needles has just always been much much higher for gas than anywhere else, as long as I can remember, going back to the early 70s.
 
Why don't people get together and boycott the stations in Needles. Are the stations in Arizona close enough to do this?
 
    I just checked the prices on one of our gas stations, it happens to be in the area where many of the rental cars are returned. Many tourists do their last fill up there before returning their cars and never notice that the price for regular gas is ...$4.59/gal while the price of fuel near my house is $2.13 at WAWA
 
AStravelers said:
I always check Gasbuddy.com before buying fuel and then don't worry why one place is higher than the other.
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I have the Gasbuddy app on my phone and use it regularly, even locally. It's pretty eye opening sometimes the difference a few miles can make.
 
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