- Among personal-vehicle trips of 50 miles or more in the 2022 National Household Travel Survey, the median is 150 miles one-way (straight-line distance) and the mean is 265 miles. Only 3.8% reach 1,000 miles or more.
- At the latest EIA weekly U.S. regular price ($4.331, week of 2026-10-12), 1,000 miles costs $148 in a midsize car (29.2 MPG), $221 in a standard SUV (19.6 MPG) and $237 in a standard pickup (18.3 MPG).
- At the 2025 average price ($3.10), the same 1,000 miles costs $106 to $169, so the price of gasoline moves the bill by about 40%.
- On the latest weekly prices, the West Coast ($5.130) was $1.53 per gallon above the Gulf Coast ($3.604).
01 The Road Trip Fuel Cost Formula
Road trip fuel cost needs three inputs: distance, your vehicle's fuel economy in MPG, and the price of gasoline. At the latest EIA price, 1,000 miles costs $148 to $237 depending on the vehicle, or 14.8 to 23.7 cents per mile.
The tables use the average combined MPG of three EPA vehicle groups, computed from the EPA/DOE Fuel Economy Guide database (gasoline-fueled vehicles (including hybrids), model years 2024–2025): midsize cars (29.2 MPG, 204 configurations), standard SUVs, two- and four-wheel drive together (19.6 MPG, 362), and standard pickups, two- and four-wheel drive together (18.3 MPG, 174). These are unweighted averages of the EPA combined rating, not sales-weighted, and real-world economy differs from the rating.
EPA/DOE Fuel Economy Guide database (vehicles.csv), comb08 by EPA vehicle class, model years 2024–2025, gasoline-fueled vehicles (including hybrids) only (regular, midgrade and premium fuel types; diesel, electric and hydrogen vehicles excluded)Gasoline prices are the EIA weekly U.S. regular all-formulations retail price: $3.30 on average in 2024, $3.10 in 2025, and $4.331 in the week of 2026-10-12.
EIA weekly retail gasoline prices, U.S. regular all formulations (pswrgvwall.xls, Data 3); annual value is the mean of that year's weekly prices02 How Far Americans Actually Drive on Road Trips
The National Household Travel Survey asks respondents about their long-distance trips, meaning trips of 50 or more miles one-way. This analysis keeps the trips whose straight-line distance is also 50 or more miles. Limited to trips made by car, van, SUV or pickup and weighted to represent the country, the median one-way distance is 150 miles and the average is 265 miles, pulled up by a long tail of very long trips. Trips of 50 to 249 miles make up 69% of the total, and trips of 1,000 miles or more make up 3.8%.
FHWA/BTS, 2022 National Household Travel Survey, long-distance trip file (ldtv2pub.csv): MAINMODE 01–04, GCD_FLAG 01 (great-circle distance 50 miles or more), GCDTOT weighted by WTPERFIN, n=8,885 survey recordsDistance is measured as a straight line from home to the farthest domestic destination (great-circle distance), so driven miles are longer and the costs below are a floor for the same trip.
| One-Way Distance | Share of Trips | Average Miles in Band | Midsize car (29.2 MPG) | Standard SUV (19.6 MPG) | Standard pickup (18.3 MPG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50–99 miles | 31.9% | 71 | $11 | $16 | $17 |
| 100–249 miles | 37.0% | 161 | $24 | $36 | $38 |
| 250–499 miles | 16.6% | 353 | $52 | $78 | $84 |
| 500–999 miles | 10.1% | 673 | $100 | $149 | $159 |
| 1,000+ miles | 3.8% | 1,462 | $217 | $323 | $346 |
03 Cost by Trip Distance
The table shows fuel cost for round-number distances at two prices: the 2025 average ($3.10) and the latest weekly price ($4.331).
| Trip Distance | Midsize car (29.2 MPG) | Standard SUV (19.6 MPG) | Standard pickup (18.3 MPG) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 250 miles | $27 – $37 | $40 – $55 | $42 – $59 |
| 500 miles | $53 – $74 | $79 – $110 | $85 – $118 |
| 1,000 miles | $106 – $148 | $158 – $221 | $169 – $237 |
| 1,500 miles | $159 – $222 | $237 – $331 | $254 – $355 |
| 2,000 miles | $212 – $297 | $316 – $442 | $339 – $473 |
On a 2,000-mile trip a standard pickup costs $126 to $177 more than a midsize car, depending on the price, and double that on a round trip.
Calculated from the class MPG figures above: 2,000 ÷ 18.3 − 2,000 ÷ 29.2 gallons, times the priceEstimate your vehicle's driving cost using official EPA fuel economy data.
Use the Calculator04 Regional Price Variation
Prices differ across the country, so the cost of the same trip depends on where you buy fuel. In the EIA weekly data for the week of 2026-10-12, regular gasoline averaged $5.639 on the West Coast, $4.439 in the Rocky Mountain region, $4.118 on the East Coast, $4.145 in the Midwest and $3.851 on the Gulf Coast. The spread from the Gulf Coast to the West Coast was $1.79 per gallon. See why gas prices vary by region.
EIA weekly retail gasoline prices by PADD region, regular all formulations (pswrgvwall.xls, Data 3), week of 2026-08-0305 Speed and Trip Cost
The clearest driver-controlled factor in the data is speed. In DOE/ORNL model results for a midsize gasoline car, fuel economy is 43 MPG at 45 mph, 45 MPG at 55 mph, 38 MPG at 65 mph and 32 MPG at 75 mph. Over 1,000 miles at $4.331, that is $96 at 55 mph and $135 at 75 mph, a difference of $39.
DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center / ORNL Transportation Energy Data Book, "Fuel Economy at Driving Speeds" (10312_speed_mpg_5-21-21.xlsx), midsize conventional gasoline car; calculated: 1,000 ÷ MPG × $4.079. See how speed affects fuel economy.Estimate your vehicle's driving cost using official EPA fuel economy data.
Use the Calculator06 Data Sources
- Federal Highway Administration / Bureau of Transportation Statistics: 2022 National Household Travel Survey, long-distance trip file. nhts.ornl.gov
- U.S. Energy Information Administration: Weekly Retail Gasoline and Diesel Prices. eia.gov
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy: Fuel Economy Guide database. fueleconomy.gov
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory: Transportation Energy Data Book, fuel economy at driving speeds (DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center). tedb.ornl.gov