Cheapest Gas Near Me: Find Lowest Price Near Wilmette

WILMETTE, IL — Soaring oil prices mean more pain at the pump for Wilmette residents, with the average gas price already well above the $4 mark across the state.

Gas prices in the Chicago area Friday significantly exceed the statewide Illinois average of $4.10 for regular unleaded fuel.

The average price in the city was $4.26, with a $4.19 average for the metro area as a whole, as of Friday.

Prices in the Chicago metro area have risen by more than 8 percent in the past week, according to AAA.

The increases are especially sharp considering that the average gas price in Illinois was just $2.89 a year ago. The average price in the metro area this time last year was $2.97.

But you can still save a little bit if you know where to look in and around Wilmette.

As of Friday, the least expensive gas in the village was the BP at 840 Skokie Blvd., which was offering fuel for $4.15 a gallon.

Cheaper gas is available at a BP station at 3750 Touhy Ave. in Skokie, where gas was $3.79 a gallon for customers who pay in cash, according to user submissions to the website GasBuddy.

Costco members can fill up for $4.05 per gallon at the 2900 Patriot Blvd. store in Glenview, and those with Sam's Club memberships can get gas for $3.96 per gallon at the 2450 Main St. location in Evanston.

The price increases come as the Russian invasion of Ukraine enters its second week. As of Friday afternoon, both types of commonly traded crude oil had risen above $115 per barrel, up about $20 this week.

The price hikes are primarily attributable to the high cost of crude oil, according to AAA. Moderating winter weather and optimism over a possible decline in COVID-19 cases have led to an increase in gas demand.

"More drivers fueling up here coupled with a persistent tight supply of oil worldwide provides the recipe for higher prices at the pump," AAA spokesperson Andrew Gross said in a news release. "And unfortunately for consumers, it does not appear that this trend will change anytime soon."

At a news conference last week, GasBuddy representatives said gas prices could go up by as much as 50 cents in the coming months.

According to a short-term outlook prepared by the U.S. Energy Information Administration last month ahead of the outbreak of war in Europe, consistent draws on global crude oil industry since mid-2020 have resulted in nearly two years of steady price rises — even before the latest disruption to energy markets.

"Oil prices have also risen as result of heightened market concerns about the possibility of oil supply disruptions, notably related to tensions regarding Ukraine," it said, "paired with receding market concerns that the Omicron variant of COVID-19 will have widespread effects on oil consumption."