Gas Is Over $5 In Boise – Here’s Where You’ll Find Some Of The Cheapest

I don’t know about you, but there are certain numbers I just don’t like seeing on the sign when I pull into a gas station and $5 is definitely one of them.

I remember when gas crossed that line a few years ago and thinking, “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Well, here we are again.

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Gas prices have been climbing quickly across Idaho, and Tuesday morning brought another pretty painful jump. AAA says the statewide average for regular unleaded has climbed to about $4.96 a gallon, while the Boise average jumped 17 cents overnight to $5.04.

For comparison, a year ago the Boise-area average was about $3.54 a gallon. AAA’s numbers also show Idaho’s record average for regular is $5.25, set back in July of 2022.

Yeah. We’re getting uncomfortably close.

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What Does $5 Gas in Boise Really Cost You?

Sometimes pennies per gallon don’t sound like much until you do the math.

Put 15 gallons into your vehicle at $5.04 a gallon and you’re looking at about $75.60.  At the roughly $3.54 Boise average from a year ago, the same 15 gallons would’ve cost about $53.10.

READ MORE: 5 Idaho Gas Stations With Great Food

That’s more than $22 extra on one fill-up.  Personally, I’d much rather have that twenty bucks in my pocket.

So that got me wondering: where can we find the cheapest gas around Boise right now?

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Two Of Boise’s Cheapest Places To Fill Up

According to GasBuddy data cited Tuesday morning, two places are currently leading the way for cheaper gas in Boise.

Costco Gas Station on South Cole Road is one of them. Of course, there’s a catch with Costco: you’ll need a membership to fill up.

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The other is Albertsons Express on West Lake Hazel Road. If you’re an Albertsons shopper, that location also gives you the opportunity to use your rewards at the pump.

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There are some other places around the Treasure Valley that have reputations for being among the lower-priced options, including Walmart fuel stations and Costco locations in Meridian and Nampa. But prices are changing so quickly right now that it’s worth checking before driving across town just to save a few cents.

That’s especially true because GasBuddy prices are largely submitted by users. GasBuddy says reports made through its app are given more weight because location information makes it more likely the person reporting the price is actually near the station.

In other words, consider these prices and rankings a snapshot, not a promise that they’ll still be the same when you pull up to the pump.

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And Diesel in the Treasure Valley? You Might Want To Sit Down

As painful as regular gas is right now, diesel drivers have it even worse.

Idaho’s diesel average has climbed to roughly $6.59 a gallon, according to Tuesday morning’s report. That’s a record, and it’s up dramatically from about $3.83 a gallon a year ago.

That’s not just painful for people driving diesel pickups. Those fuel costs eventually work their way into the price of moving food, packages and just about everything else around the state.

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Is It Worth Driving Across Town For Cheaper Gas?

This is where I always have to remind myself not to get too carried away.  If you find gas that’s 20 cents cheaper but burn half a gallon driving across town and back to get it, you probably didn’t accomplish much.

But if the cheaper station is already on your way to work, you’re going grocery shopping anyway, or you’re filling a big tank? Absolutely. Those pennies can add up pretty quickly and with Boise back above that dreaded $5 mark, I’ll take whatever savings I can get.

Paul Fleet

Make sure to check the price before you leave. Right now these numbers are moving fast enough that yesterday’s bargain may not be today’s bargain.

Because we’re back to the days when spotting gas under five bucks can actually feel like finding a deal.

I didn’t miss those days at all.