The line was busy but quick Thursday afternoon at the Arco on Mission Street, as a procession of drivers who had done their homework hit the pumps.
They had checked GasBuddy. They had driven out of their way. Some had timed their arrival to beat a price hike. All were chasing the same thing: a gallon of regular for less than $5, a psychological threshold in a city with some of the country’s highest fuel prices.
Michael Campos refills his Yamaha Super Ténéré motorcycle, which can travel as many as 70 miles on a gallon of gas. | Source: George Kelly/The Standard
“I actually came completely out of my way to come to this station,” said Michael Campos, 55, who normally fuels up at an Arco near his home in the Outer Richmond. He typically rides his Yamaha Ténéré 700 motorcycle to stretch his fuel budget — at roughly 60 to 70 miles per gallon, it takes him “like, forever” to get through $15, he said.
With prices fluctuating constantly, among the cheapest stations in San Francisco this week were Arco locations at 2198 Carroll Ave. in the Silver Terrace neighborhood and 1798 Mission St. in the Mission. The Carroll Avenue location had advertised $4.95 per gallon Thursday morning but bumped the price to $5.05 by midday. Still, by San Francisco standards, that’s a deal. The Mission Street location was selling a gallon for $4.97. At what is perhaps the city’s most expensive stations, a gallon was going for $6.60 on Thursday, so someone buying 10 could save more than $16.
Patrice Catanio, a 47-year resident of the city who lives near San Francisco General Hospital, knew her local options well. She said she also considers the Arco near Cesar Chavez Street, close to Interstate 280, but finds it difficult to navigate in and out. So she made the trip to Carroll Avenue.
“We’ve got the highest gas prices in the country,” Catanio said matter-of-factly. She recalled that the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein once called for an investigation (opens in new tab) into why California’s gas prices run so high. “But then she died,” Catanio added, “so.”
The reasons for California’s persistently high gas prices include a unique fuel blend required by state environmental rules, higher taxes, and limited pipeline infrastructure, among other factors. Prices have jumped in recent weeks, with the war on Iran cited as a contributing factor. The average price for a gallon in California was $5.41 on Friday, up from $4.56 a month ago, according to AAA (opens in new tab). The average price nationwide was $3.63 on Friday.
Not everyone at the pumps was a local. Mike Chen, visiting from Ontario, Canada, had spotted the station on Google Maps while making his way to the airport to return a rental car. He wasn’t sure exactly what he was paying — “We usually pay in liters,” he said with a laugh — but he’d seen the price online about 10 minutes before pulling in.
Aiden Paul fills his Honda Fit at $5.05 per gallon before a surf trip to San Mateo County. | Source: George Kelly/The Standard
For younger drivers, the higher costs are changing behavior. Aiden Paul, 26, a surfer who was heading to Año Nuevo State Park, said he sometimes leaves his Honda Fit parked when he can’t justify the cost of filling it up. “I take the bus, take the BART, whatever I gotta do,” he said. “Once you drive anywhere east in the country, it’s a lot cheaper. California is home. But it’s outrageous, for sure.”
Tania Pulido, 36, said she’s simply “trying to limit how often she drives” her Hyundai. A regular in the neighborhood, she knew the Mission Arco was among the cheapest options.
The sign advertises $4.79 per gallon, but the Royal Gas station on Bayshore Boulevard no longer sells fuel. | Source: George Kelly/The Standard
Over in Silver Terrace, there’s a mirage disappointing drivers with a false promise of even cheaper gas. A station that no longer sells fuel but offers snacks and other items in its kiosk for people on the go has an out-of-date sign saying gas is $4.79 per gallon.
The station attendant just pointed to the taped-off pumps and said he regularly draws drivers who turn irate at finding no gas.
For now, the city’s motorists are adapting, calculating, and occasionally driving across town to save a few cents a gallon — a ritual that says as much about the city’s cost of living as it does about the price of oil.