Chicago Gas Prices Soar Past $6

Gas prices are suddenly a Chicago problem again — not in some abstract national way, but on actual station signs drivers see on the way to work. In parts of the city, regular unleaded moved above $6 a gallon on Monday, May 4. That is a real jump, not a rounding error. And it landed just as the broader U.S. average is already pushing higher, which means Chicago drivers are getting hit by both a local squeeze and a global one. (cbsnews.com) ### Where did prices actually hit $6? The clearest example was in Bucktown, where a Shell station on Armitage near the Kennedy Expressway posted $6.29 for regular, or $5.99 with a car wash deal. That matters because it shows the headline is not just abo(cbsnews.com)ine inside Chicago. (cbsnews.com) ### What’s the citywide number? The citywide average is lower than those eye-popping signs, but still rough. GasBuddy put Chicago at about $5.07 a gallon for regular on May 4, after a 62-cent jump in one week. A few days earlier, AAA had Chicago hoverin(cbsnews.com), the average is now solidly in five-dollar territory, even before you get to the worst stations. (cbsnews.com) ### How far above the rest of the country is Illinois? Illinois is running well above the national average. AAA showed the Illinois statewide average at $4.938 on May 5, while the U.S. average was $4.483. That gap — about 46 cents a gallon — lines up wi(cbsnews.com) in Chicago than in a lot of other places. (gasprices.aaa.com) ### Why did Chicago jump faster than other places? One reason is local supply. BP’s Whiting refinery in Indiana — a huge supplier for the Great Lakes region — had an electrical power loss on the night of April 26. BP said power was restored quickly, but analysts and local reporting tied the event to(gasprices.aaa.com)ana, and nearby states. When a refinery that important stumbles, Chicago tends to feel it fast. (abc7chicago.com) ### Why is the global situation making it worse? The bigger force is crude oil. Chicago’s jump is happening during a broader oil shock tied to the Iran conflict and disruption around the Strait of Hormuz — one of the w(abc7chicago.com)ll, fuel would still be getting more expensive. The local refinery issue just piled on top. (wbez.org) ### Is this just gasoline? Not really — and that is the catch. AAA’s Illinois diesel average was already about $5.998 on May 5. Diesel matters because it feeds trucking, delivery costs, and a lot of business budgets. So the pain does not stop with commuters filling sedans and SUVs. It can leak into shipping, groceries, and summer travel costs more broadly. (gasprices.aaa.com) ### Are these record prices? Not for Illinois regular gas. AAA’s statewide record average for regular remains $5.562 from June 13, 2022. But the speed of this move is what stands out. Chicago went from the low-$4 range in official city data in late April to a $5-plus city average and $6-plus neighbo(gasprices.aaa.com)ndsided. (gasprices.aaa.com) ### Bottom line Chicago is not dealing with one simple gas-price story. It is getting squeezed by a local refinery disruption and a global oil shock at the same time. That is why some drivers are seeing $6 regular already — and why relief may not come quickly.