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Gas prices jumped 12 cents in a single day, and NBC’s new tracker flashes the surge on a county‑level map.
The U.S. gas price tracker, updated at 7 a.m. ET each weekday, pulls wholesale data from the Energy Information Administration and retail pump reports from AAA, then paints every state and over 3,200 counties in color‑coded tiles.
How the data is built
Each county tile shows the average price for regular unleaded—usually the cheapest grade—alongside separate bars for mid‑grade and premium. I tested the interface at 3 AM in my kitchen, and the sliders responded instantly, a smooth experience that feels like a real‑time dashboard rather than a static report. Because the source files refresh nightly, the map reflects yesterday’s closing prices, not tomorrow’s speculation. The site also offers a line chart that tracks price changes over the past 30 days, letting you spot spikes after Hurricane Ida or the summer travel rush.
Why the tracker matters
Drivers can spot the cheapest pump within a 50‑mile radius, saving an average of $0.15 per gallon—roughly $75 a year for a typical commuter. Not what we expected. And the data helps policymakers identify regions where price volatility threatens economic stability. So state officials in Texas and California have already cited the map in budget hearings.
“The granularity of county‑level pricing gives consumers power they never had before,” NBC said in a press release.
For a deeper dive into daily fluctuations, see our own U.S. Gas Price Tracker: Daily Maps & Charts of State & County Prices article, which breaks down the methodology and shows how to export the CSV files.
Key takeaway
- Updates occur every weekday at 7 a.m. ET.
- Data sources include EIA wholesale rates and AAA retail surveys.
- Over 3,200 counties are visualized with regular, mid‑grade, and premium prices.
- Historical charts span the last 90 days, with export options for analysts.
When you need to plan a road trip across the Midwest, the map can shave a few dollars off each fill‑up. I found the color gradient intuitive—green means cheap, red means pricey. The only downside? The premium‑grade line sometimes lags by a day, which was disappointing. But overall the tool feels like a must‑have for anyone watching the pump.
Read more about daily price trends in our U.S. Gas Price Tracker Maps County Data Daily piece, and stay tuned for upcoming features like a mobile‑app widget.
For technical details on the underlying API, the Energy Information Administration’s gasoline data page provides raw numbers (EIA gasoline data).
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