Gas Prices in Laredo, TX Today
Laredo occupies a unique position in the US gas market. It's the largest inland port on the US-Mexico border, a city where fuel economics on both sides of the Rio Grande matter to everyday drivers. On the US side, regular unleaded tracks close to the Texas state average of $3.42 per gallon — well below the national average of $3.91. Across the bridges in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, subsidized government fuel historically runs even cheaper, though with significant caveats.
The Cross-Border Fuel Question
Mexico's state-owned Pemex operates gas stations throughout Nuevo Laredo, and the Mexican government has historically subsidized fuel prices to keep them below US levels. Many Laredo residents with Mexican citizenship or frequent border crossers do fill up on the Mexican side — particularly for older vehicles that use regular unleaded without concerns about fuel additive differences.
That calculus has shifted in recent years. Peso depreciation, periodic Pemex shortages, and the time cost of crossing and returning through US Customs eat into the savings. Bridge wait times during peak hours (especially at World Trade Bridge and Gateway to the Americas) can add 30–60 minutes to a fuel run. For most Laredo drivers, the US-side price is competitive enough that crossing for gas alone rarely makes sense anymore — particularly during high-traffic periods.
Why US-Side Prices Stay Competitive
Laredo's fuel supply comes primarily through the Houston-area refinery complex, distributed via pipeline and truck. South Texas fuel taxes are the same 20 cents per gallon as the rest of Texas — the lowest of any oil-producing state. The competitive pressure from just-across-the-border fuel keeps Laredo station operators honest in a way that most US cities don't experience. No Laredo station can price aggressively above the market when a driver can in theory take an alternate route.
Where to Find the Cheapest Gas in Laredo
The highest concentration of competitive stations sits along the major commercial corridors inland from the border crossings.
- Downtown / near the bridges — 78040 — bridge-adjacent stations often price slightly higher to capture crossing traffic; not the best option
- Mines Road / Del Mar corridor — 78041 — high commercial density, multiple chains competing on price along the main commercial spine
- North Laredo / US-83 corridor — 78043 — suburban format stations with larger footprints and better pricing
- Northwest / Bob Bullock Loop area — 78045 — newer development with chain competition including H-E-B fuel centers
- South Laredo — 78046 — working-class residential area with independent stations that frequently undercut branded chains
- Navigating to the cheapest station is easier with a phone mount — hands-free directions while you drive.
- A tire pressure gauge is one of the cheapest ways to improve fuel economy — underinflated tires cost you up to 3% at the pump.
H-E-B Fuel Is the Local Advantage
H-E-B — the Texas grocery institution — operates fuel centers in Laredo, and their loyalty pricing consistently beats the street price. H-E-B Plus fuel rewards apply to gas purchases and are stacked with grocery spending. For Laredo residents who already shop H-E-B (and most do), using the fuel center at the same stop is one of the easier ways to save 5 to 10 cents per gallon without changing any habits.
March 2026 Context
The Iran-driven crude price pressure currently pushing the national average to $3.91 has hit Laredo modestly. South Texas is geographically insulated from West Coast supply chain disruptions and benefits from direct pipeline access to the Houston refinery cluster. Prices here tend to be among the last to spike and the first to recover in a national price cycle.
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