Chicago, IL
Loading prices
LiveUpdated Jun 15Gas prices near 60601
Chicago, IL · IL average $4.23/gal
Stations near you
No results found
Try a different ZIP code
Keep exploring
Finding cheap gas in Chicago (60601)
This is the heart of the Loop and the New East Side, the high-rise district between Michigan Avenue, the Chicago River, and Lake Shore Drive that takes in Millennium Park, the Aon Center, and the Lakeshore East towers. It is about as dense as American urban land gets, and that density means almost no street-level gas stations exist here at all.
Most people living or working in this ZIP do not buy gas in the neighborhood. Land is far too valuable for fuel canopies, so the realistic move is to fill up outside the core, either heading out toward Lake Shore Drive and the expressways or in the less dense neighborhoods just beyond downtown.
If you do need fuel near the Loop, expect downtown convenience pricing, the same premium any central business district carries. For genuine savings, the stations a mile or more out, where there is actually room for them to compete, will always beat anything you find among the towers.
Nearby ZIP codes in Chicago, IL
How to save more on gas in Chicago
1. Use warehouse clubs
Costco and Sam’s Club typically price 15-25 cents per gallon below nearby stations. Membership pays for itself within a few fill-ups.
2. Fill up early in the week
Stations often raise prices Thursday for weekend demand. Fill up Monday through Wednesday to avoid the lift.
3. Keep tires properly inflated
Properly inflated tires improve fuel economy by up to 3 percent at current prices. Check pressure once a month.
4. Check back tomorrow
Prices can shift 10-20 cents overnight during volatile markets. A quick check before you leave home avoids paying yesterday’s spike.
5. Pay cash at split-pricing stations
Stations with cash and credit split pricing typically save an average of 10 cents per gallon when you pay cash.
Related guides
Deep-dives on US gas-price topics relevant to this area.
Brand
Sam's Club gas prices
Member-only fuel pricing at Sam's Club warehouse-club locations.
Research
Why gas prices vary by station
The microeconomics of why same-brand stations across the street price 30 cents apart.
Research
Why gas prices rise faster than they fall
Asymmetric pass-through in US retail gasoline (rockets and feathers).
Directory
US gas station brands directory
Reference for 39 major US gas station chains.
About gas prices in Illinois
Illinois has one of the more complex gas pricing maps in the country: the state tax is around 47 cents, but Cook County and the city of Chicago add their own per-gallon excise on top, pushing pump prices in downtown Chicago to among the highest in the Midwest. Stations in DuPage and Will counties just outside Cook routinely run 30 to 50 cents cheaper for the same brand. Costco, Sam's Club, Thorntons, and Casey's General Store are the dependable value picks across Chicago and its suburbs, with Costco in Schaumburg and Naperville especially popular.