Where to Buy Cheap Gas in Jacksonville, Florida

Jacksonville, Florida fashions itself as the locale "where Florida begins." Despite sharing Sunshine State geography, I must argue that Northeast Florida is Leagues away from the more renowned tourist haunts of Tampa, Orlando, Miami, and Key West, which are bastions for celebrity, retirement communities and snowbirds. Jacksonville, and the I-10 corridor into the panhandle represent parts of Florida that are described as "Southern," in more than geographical nomenclature, only. Of course, the distinction serves local motorists well, in terms of gasoline prices.

Nationally, gasoline retail costs are affected per one's geographical proximity to critical Gulf Coast energy infrastructure, alongside municipal tax policy.

Obviously, Miami and Jacksonville drivers are subject to the exact same 34.5-cent per gallon levy that is set by the State legislature at Tallahassee. Additionally, the two East Coast cities share similar access to off shore Gulf Coast oil west of the Florida peninsula.

Despite these similarities, expensive gas prices at Miami rival those of the Northeast, while Jacksonville posts readings that compete with the bargain bin prices of the Deep South. Perhaps, obnoxious New York and New Jersey revelers have also proceeded to transfer a bit of home to Miami in the form of high-priced gasoline!

Jacksonville, the largest city per land area within the Lower-48, does benefit from lower population densities relative to major cities, alongside its status as a sweeping deepwater port to transport petroleum products. Jacksonville filling stations are offering regular grade gasoline for $2.518, which sharply undercuts the U.S. Department of Energy National mark of $2.628, for the week of August 24, 2009.

Again, Jacksonville and Duval County, Florida gas prices are largely in line with the Deep South action, where cheap fuel is the order of the day. Hence, saving gasoline money at Northeast Florida remains more so a function of which areas to avoid, than that of stations to aggressively patronize.

This guide will proceed to analyze the cheap gas proposal from opposite ends of the spectrum. Our work begins by exposing the most egregiously priced service stations to patronize, and closes with a presentation of viable solutions for affordable petro.

We do recognize the fact that commodity prices will fluctuate wildly. However, the demographics and geographic boundaries, which promulgate cheap gas today shall remain stable and translate into octane that is "less expensive than the next guy," well into the future.

"Cheap" is a relative term.

Where NOT to Buy Gas in Jacksonville, Florida

Do not buy expensive gas at North Jacksonville

North Jacksonville is often viewed as the last frontier of development per Duval County. The rural section of northeast Florida has exploded in terms of growth over the past decade as tidy cul de sacs, shopping centers, and leafy developments have emerged to gentrify the formerly dilapidated acreage of the area.

Contrary to the open space, the price of gas spikes at North Jacksonville.

Fuel is especially costly at the Jacksonville International Airport (JAX). Interestingly, the highest readings in all of northeast Florida are outside of the I-295 / 9A Beltway, off the I-95 / Airport Road exits.

Exxon and Chevron patrol the corner of Duval and Airport roads to hawk regular gasoline for $2.68 at the moment. Exxon also flashes $2.57 off FL 104 / Dunn Avenue - just west of I-95.

The high priced fare north of the St. Johns and Trout River is counterintuitive, considering the fact that the North Side melts into rural swampland. I must speculate that these limited pockets of high-priced gas arrive in relation I-95 demand. Remember, 95 identifies the primary north-south thoroughfare of the East Coast.

Still, Gate undercuts Exxon directly at the 95 / Dunn - Busch Drive interchange near the Busch Brewery to deliver regular gasoline to drivers for $2.51.

Of course, cheap gas is always for sale at the northwest outskirts of town in Dinsmore. Both Gate and RaceTrac are hawking one gallon of 87-octane for $2.48 at Route 1-23 / New Kings Road beyond the Beltway.

Where to Buy Cheap Gas in Jacksonville, Florida

Take your pick.

Cheap gas is par for the course at Florida's gateway from all angles. The Arlington, Southeast, and Southwest sections of Jacksonville mark the most convenient locales to purchase cheap gasoline away from the downtown urban core. The Southside is demarcated by the bend at the St. Johns River and is associated with steady commercial decline of Arlington and Mandarin.

Cheap gas is for sale at the Hart Bridge - Atlantic Boulevard interchange across from Midtown. Both Hess and RaceWay occupy these corners to undersell the competition at $2.44.

Meanwhile, Southwest Jacksonville and Orange Park are havens for cheap gas across the river. Prices break beneath the $2.50 price point at the Duval - Clay County Line at the time of this writing.

The Route 17 - Roosevelt Boulevard and Route 21 - Blanding Boulevard approaches to 295 feature clusters of off brand wholesalers and Big Oil stalwarts competing to pitch affordable gasoline. BP, RaceTrac, Kangaroo, and Chevron all patrol the area.

The Kangaroo at 8496 Blanding Boulevard undersells the marketplace at $2.46.

Happy Trails.

Where to Buy Cheap Gas in Jacksonville, Florida, Sources:

Jacksonville Gas Prices, http://www.jacksonvillegasprices.com/

Visit Jacksonville, http://www.visitjacksonville.com/

The State of Florida, http://www.myflorida.com/