⛽ Road Trip Gas Calculator
Calculate exactly how much fuel you need for your next road trip — in gallons or liters
| Distance | 15 MPG | 20 MPG | 25 MPG | 30 MPG | 35 MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 miles | 6.7 gal | 5.0 gal | 4.0 gal | 3.3 gal | 2.9 gal |
| 250 miles | 16.7 gal | 12.5 gal | 10.0 gal | 8.3 gal | 7.1 gal |
| 500 miles | 33.3 gal | 25.0 gal | 20.0 gal | 16.7 gal | 14.3 gal |
| 750 miles | 50.0 gal | 37.5 gal | 30.0 gal | 25.0 gal | 21.4 gal |
| 1000 miles | 66.7 gal | 50.0 gal | 40.0 gal | 33.3 gal | 28.6 gal |
| 1500 miles | 100.0 gal | 75.0 gal | 60.0 gal | 50.0 gal | 42.9 gal |
| 2000 miles | 133.3 gal | 100.0 gal | 80.0 gal | 66.7 gal | 57.1 gal |
| Vehicle Type | Tank Size (gal) | Tank Size (L) | Range at Avg MPG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compact Car | 12–13 gal | 45–49 L | ~390–420 mi |
| Midsize Sedan | 14–16 gal | 53–61 L | ~390–450 mi |
| Full-Size SUV | 18–26 gal | 68–98 L | ~360–520 mi |
| Pickup Truck | 20–36 gal | 76–136 L | ~360–650 mi |
| Minivan | 18–20 gal | 68–76 L | ~400–460 mi |
| Class A RV | 60–150 gal | 227–568 L | ~600–1500 mi |
| Class C RV | 25–55 gal | 95–208 L | ~350–770 mi |
| Cargo Van | 25–31 gal | 95–117 L | ~375–465 mi |
| Measurement | Imperial | Metric | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 US Gallon | 1 gal | 3.785 L | Standard US fuel unit |
| 1 Mile | 1 mi | 1.609 km | Distance conversion |
| 1 MPG | 1 mi/gal | 0.425 km/L | Fuel economy |
| 10 MPG | 10 mi/gal | 4.25 km/L | RV / heavy vehicle |
| 25 MPG | 25 mi/gal | 10.6 km/L | Average car |
| 50 MPG | 50 mi/gal | 21.3 km/L | Hybrid vehicle |
| 100 km/L | — | 100 km/L | 235.2 MPG |
gas calculator is a free tool that helps to estimate the fuel costs for a journey. The tool works by using a mix of fuel efficiency, trip length and current prices of gas, to deliver a reliable estimate. Various units can be chosen based on the region where one lives.
Those tools are very handy during planning of road trips. Just enter the destination and kind of vehicle for a more exact calculation and the program right away shows the total of fuel costs, including also diesel use. Some versions include even toll payments, like E-ZPass bills, SunPass-fees, FasTrak- and TxTag-charges besides the basic fuel cost.
Use a gas calculator to estimate trip fuel costs
Like this everything about the whole trip cost appears gathered in one place.
There are apps that include fuel costs directly in Google Maps during preparation of a route. For instance, the program Toll and gas Calculator from TollGuru LLC does exactly that. It helps to piont the most saving or the most fast ways straight to the target.
Besides that, the website roadtrippers.com allows to add several stops and deliver fuel estimate included, although the listed trip times here happen a bit longer then one would expect.
A fuel economy calculator helps to also compare various cars one against the other. One can estimate his current vehicle against a possible new model, to see possible savings on gas. For example, if the current car reaches 20 mpg and the new model 35 mpg while 10,000 miles yearly at six dollars for a gallon, the savings would reach around 1,300 dollars yearly.
So the new car could pay for itself in around five years only through those fuel savings.
Some tools allow to choose make and type of his car from a list, then enter the MPG value, planned yearly trip length and gallon price. That way one can estimate the yearly gas costs.
The real cost of a trip rests mostly in the style of driving. Rough braking, late starting and too much speeding all reduce the fuel use, but that is hard to measure. The gas mileage changes based on driving habits, while prices of fuels change daily.
So any calculator delivers only an estimate, no exact number.
Owners of RVs find fuel calculators especially useful, because such vehicles have lower gas mileage. The cost changes based on model and size of the rig, trip length, landscape and road speed. One enters real data about miles per gallon, tank size, gallon price and whole distance, to get an estimate.
The main method stays simple: split the whole way by fuel efficiency, thenmultiply by the price per unit.
GasBuddy presents another great option. It includes a trip planner and even a loyalty program at the pump, that promises at least five cents per gallon in savings almost everywhere. The website of AAA helps also, showing average fuel prices sorted by state and kind of gas.
