Where to Buy Cheap Gas in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh Drivers Will Buy Cheap Gas in Butler County

Buying cheap gas at homogeneous Pittsburgh is more so a function of identifying which areas to avoid, than that of aggressively seeking out true zones for gasoline value. In fact, this article proves that Pittsburghers must travel deep into the outskirts of the area for cheap fuel.

Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania do share an interesting history with the oil and gas industry. The 1859 Drake Well at Oil City fostered the speculative boom at Oil Country, just to the north of the Three Rivers.

Kerosene was the byproduct of choice at the time, and pesky gasoline "waste" was simply dumped into the river after ramshackle refining processes. Pittsburgh and Cleveland were to then emerge as bitter rivals, grappling to control the burgeoning U.S. energy industry.

Ironically, both cities were promptly left in the dark once John D. Rockefeller shifted operations to Cleveland, felt insulted by the lack of Love emanating from his hometown, and bolted for New York City with Standard Oil.

Meanwhile, Americans were hitting the road and clamoring for gasoline; and numerous big oil strikes developed at East Texas, just as the Pennsylvania wells ran dry. Historically, The Keystone State has degenerated from the focal point of the energy sector, towards the back of the line with the rest of the industrialized world.

Today, Pittsburgh averages $2.572 per gallon of regular grade gasoline. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, this figure squares with National readings of $2.528.

Geographic proximity to the Gulf Coast, along with municipal tax policy determines regional price levels. Locally, neighboring price volatility is largely a function of what I would describe as the "wealth effect" of doing business within exclusive neighborhoods and proximity to "one way out" highway networks.

We have already described Pittsburgh as homogeneous. Meaning, the Pittsburgh area lies exclusively within Allegheny County, and beyond downtown, the differences between the city's North Side, South Side, and East End are slight, yet far from glaring.