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CENTRAL ILLINOIS (WCIA) — For the first time since 2021, the average price of gas in the State of Illinois is below $3 per gallon.
GasBuddy’s first analysis of gas prices in 2024 found that the statewide average has fallen to $2.99 per gallon. The last time Illinoisans enjoyed gas at that price was in March of 2021. Since then, the average skyrocketed to a high of $5.62 in June of 2022 before coming back down.
The last five months in particular have seen a drop of more than $1 per gallon on average. The average at the start of August was $4.08 per gallon, and 2023 ended with 15 straight weeks of falling gas prices. They fell by an average of six cents since last week and an average of 14 cents since the week before Christmas.
“While gas prices have risen in some areas, such as California after refinery snags emerged, other states have returned to declines. Illinois is one such example,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “The Great Lakes and Gulf Coast offer some of the nation’s lowest gas prices, with the window of opportunity holding for the next few weeks to potentially re-test some of the levels seen a few weeks ago.”
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Illinois’ average price of gas is slightly lower than the national average of $3.06, GasBuddy found.
In Central Illinois, most counties are averaging between $2.99 and $2.92 per gallon. Shelby, Macon and Champaign Counties are averaging $2.89. Effingham County, however, stands in stark contrast to the rest of the region with an average of $2.59. With the exception of seven stations in the Chicago area, GasBuddy indicates that Effingham’s stations are the cheapest in the state.
Many stations throughout Central Illinois are priced lower than their county’s average, however. The cheapest stations in each county are listed below:
| County | Average | Station/Town/Price |
| Champaign | $2.88 | Costco – Champaign – $2.61 Thorntons – Champaign (Mattis Avenue) – $2.61 Circle K – Champaign (John Street) – $2.61 |
| Christian | $2.99 | Casey’s – Assumption – $2.79 Casey’s – Pana – $2.79 Shell – Pana – $2.79 Qik-n-EZ – Pana on Poplar Street – $2.79 |
| Coles | $2.95 | Murphy USA – Mattoon – $2.85 |
| DeWitt | $2.98 | Casey’s – Clinton – $2.91 |
| Douglas | $2.99 | BP – Tuscola – $2.71 Love’s Travel Stop – Tuscola – $2.71 Fuel Mart – Tuscola – $2.71 |
| Edgar | $2.97 | Murphy USA – Paris – $2.89 |
| Effingham | $2.59 | Murphy USA – Effingham – $2.57 Casey’s – Effingham – $2.57 Pilot – Effingham – $2.57 QuikTrip – Effingham – $2.57 Phillips 66 – Effingham – $2.57 MotoMart – Effingham – $2.57 |
| Iroquois | $2.92 | Casey’s – Chebanse – $2.66 |
| Logan | $2.99 | Casey’s – San Jose – $2.81 |
| Macon | $2.89 | Sam’s Club – Decatur – $2.69 Circle K – Decatur (Woodford Street) – $2.69 |
| Moultrie | $2.99 | Howy’s Lakeside – Sullivan – $2.79 |
| Piatt | $2.99 | Casey’s – Cerro Gordo – $2.84 |
| Sangamon | $2.97 | Sam’s Club – Springfield – $2.79 |
| Shelby | $2.89 | Casey’s – Tower Hill – $2.79 |
| Vermilion | $2.96 | Phillips 66 – Oakwood – $2.74 |
