Road Trip Fuel Planning: Don't Run Out in the Middle of Nowhere

You’re planning a cross-country trip. The route is set. But have you planned your fuel stops? Running low in rural Montana or West Texas is not where you want to discover gas stations are 80 miles apart.

Smart fuel planning saves money, reduces stress, and keeps you from that terrifying “will I make it?” gamble.

Know Your Range

Before anything else, know how far your vehicle can actually go:

Range = Tank Size × MPG × 0.9

The 0.9 factor is your safety margin. Never plan to use the last 10% of your tank.

Example:

Tank: 18 gallons
Highway MPG: 32
Safe range: 18 × 32 × 0.9 = 518 miles

That’s how far you can comfortably drive between fill-ups.

Plan Your Fuel Stops

Enter your trip details to estimate total fuel cost and plan your stops.

Plan Your Trip →

Planning Your Stops

Map out your route and identify:

Distance between stations: Use GasBuddy or Google Maps to see where stations are
Gap analysis: Find the longest stretches without services
Strategic fill points: Where to fill up before long gaps

Rule of thumb: If the next stretch has no guaranteed fuel for 100+ miles, fill up before entering it.

The State Line Strategy

Gas prices vary significantly by state. Plan fills around these transitions:

Before entering (expensive):

California
Washington
Nevada
Illinois

Fill up in (cheaper):

Missouri
Oklahoma
Texas
South Carolina

A full tank across the CA-AZ border might cost $30 more in California. Fill in Arizona.

Real Trip Example

Route: Denver to San Francisco (1,250 miles)

Vehicle: 15-gallon tank, 30 highway MPG, 400-mile range

Estimated stops:

Denver → Start full
Grand Junction, CO (~250 mi) — Fill up before Utah
Green River, UT (~150 mi) — Long stretch ahead
Ely, NV (~240 mi) — Fill before remote Nevada
Reno, NV (~320 mi) — Fill before Donner Pass
Sacramento area (~130 mi) — Almost there

Total fuel: 1,250 miles ÷ 30 MPG = 42 gallons At $4.00 average: $168 total fuel cost

Highway MPG vs. Actual MPG

Your EPA rating is optimistic. Real-world highway driving typically gets:

Flat terrain, 65 mph: Close to EPA highway
Mountains: 10-20% worse than rating
75+ mph speeds: 10-15% worse than rating
Strong headwinds: 5-10% worse

Mountain passes especially:

Climbing uses more fuel
You don’t get it all back descending
Budget 20% extra for mountainous routes

Weight Matters

A loaded vehicle gets worse mileage:

Every 100 lbs of extra weight costs ~1% fuel economy
Roof cargo creates drag (up to 25% penalty at highway speeds)
Pack light and low

That camping gear on the roof rack? It’s costing you real money in fuel.

The Cost Estimation

To budget for a trip:

Trip Cost = (Total Miles ÷ Avg MPG) × Avg Gas Price

But gas prices vary along the route. A better estimate:

Check prices along your route (GasBuddy has route pricing)
Divide route into segments by state/region
Calculate each segment separately
Sum totals

Apps and Tools

GasBuddy:

Prices along your route
Station reviews
Cheapest stations at each stop

Google Maps:

Shows gas stations with prices
Estimates fuel cost for trips
Identifies gaps in coverage

Waze:

Community-reported prices
Real-time updates
Integrates with navigation

Danger Zones

Be extra careful in:

Nevada: Huge gaps between towns. 100+ mile stretches common. West Texas: Same issue. Stations can be 75+ miles apart. Utah: Especially southern Utah. Remote areas everywhere. Montana/Wyoming: Rural stretches with few services.

In these areas, fill up whenever you’re below half tank. Don’t gamble.

What If You’re Running Low?

If you’re genuinely worried about running out:

Slow down: 55 mph uses significantly less fuel than 70
Kill the AC: Saves 5-10% fuel
Hypermile: Coast when possible, gentle acceleration
Don’t panic: Most cars have 30-50 miles of range after the light comes on

And next time, plan better.

Electric Vehicle Considerations

EVs have different challenges:

Charger locations matter more than station locations
Charging takes longer than fueling
Range drops in cold weather or mountains
Apps like PlugShare are essential

Plan EV trips with chargers explicitly mapped. Unlike gas stations, you can’t assume they’ll be convenient.

Pre-Trip Checklist

Before a long drive:

Check current tire pressure (low pressure = worse MPG)
Know your realistic range
Identify fuel gaps on route
Download offline maps (signal can be spotty)
Check gas prices along route
Budget fuel costs

The Bottom Line

Running out of fuel on a trip is embarrassing at best, dangerous at worst. A few minutes of planning eliminates the risk entirely.

Know your range. Know your route. Know where the gaps are. Fill up strategically.

Your trip will be smoother, cheaper, and stress-free.