Where to Buy Cheap Gas in Silver Spring, Maryland

Silver Spring, MD is the Montgomery County suburb, which lies directly to the north of Washington, D.C. that is lauded for its historical significance and cultural diversity. Although traditional boundaries of this unincorporated locale remain hazy, Silver Spring is synonymous with the lower to eastern third of Montgomery County. The "Silver Spring" identification is applicable to a self-contained downtown, Forest Glen, White Oak, Colesville, Good Hope, Four Corners, and Briggs Chaney.

Silver Spring is the third most populous location in the Old Line State after Baltimore and Columbia. Of course, Marylanders will recognize Silver Spring as the focal point of a historically intense, yet good-natured rivalry pitting Baltimore City and Annapolis against the Washington, D.C. suburbs.

Of course, Silver Spring motorists will accept their respective cues from the District of Columbia in terms of buying gas. Today, Washington, D.C. gas prices average $2.699 per gallon of regular grade gasoline, which is largely in line with the U.S. Department of Energy national mark of $2.647 for the week of August 10, 2009.

Local price disparity within the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia metropolitan area is set by the "wealth effect" of transacting business within successful commercial zones, access to critical traffic nodes, and the disparate gas tax policies separating the competing municipalities. According to The Tax Foundation, D.C. and Maryland gas taxes are similar at 20 and 23.5 cents per gallon, respectively. Meanwhile, Virginia gas tax policy calculates out as the most relaxed in the region at 19.1 cents per gallon.

D.C. - Maryland gas prices will "melt" into each other at the border. Additionally, Silver Spring residents would be foolish to merge onto the notorious I-495 / Capital Beltway bottleneck to span the American Legion Bridge upon a wild goose chase for cheap gas within the wealthier sections of Fairfax County, Virginia.

Silver Spring residents and commuters into the area must learn to play the angles of price, location, and traffic congestion patterns to actually mine for gas buying value. This critical guide will explore the proposal from the opposing ends of the equation. Our directives begin by exposing the most egregious locations to buy gas at Silver Spring, and closes with viable alternatives to said establishments.

I recognize the fact that today's quotes and prices will fluctuate wildly over time. However, the term "cheap" is quite relative. Meaning, the current factors which promulgate affordable fare at the moment will translate into prices that are "less expensive than the next guy" well into the future.

Where NOT to Buy Gas in Silver Spring, Maryland

Do not buy gas at the I-495 / Capital Beltway exits in Silver Spring.

From east to west, these junctions are MD 650 - New Hampshire Avenue, MD 193 - University Boulevard and Route 29 at Four Corners, and MD 97 - Georgia Avenue. Gas prices always spike at these critical links for DC - MD traffic, particularly west of Georgia into Bethesda and Northern Virginia. Marylanders must take care to avoid buying gas west of Georgia.

For example, Citgo, Liberty, and Sunoco front Connecticut Avenue prior to the Beltway approaches in Chevy Chase to flash $2.69 for regular unleaded. Prices will spike even further to the $2.80 mark along MD 355 Wisconsin - Rockville Pike in Bethesda. Of course, Chevy Chase and Bethesda are two of the wealthiest locales in all of America.

Per Silver Spring, G&G Service Center, Shell, Exxon, and Texaco occupy prime gasoline real estate per East County standards. These stores meet drivers at Forest Glen, Hillandale, and downtown Silver Spring to exploit the area's most harrowing bottlenecks at the Beltway junctions and the Georgia - Colesville Road confluence, which highlights a revitalized city center.

The Texaco at 8600 Georgia Avenue - directly across from the Metro Station is often a typical offender to slam motorists with expensive gasoline. Today, Texaco flashes $2.65 for regular, which is exceptionally high for any Maryland location at Georgia and points east.

Maryland drivers may shift their commutes slightly to the east to discover that gas prices fall towards Takoma Park and the older sections of Silver Spring into Prince George's County. MD 193 - University Boulevard will emerge as the primary thoroughfare for East County drivers to save gas money inside the Beltway.

Exxon posts $2.55 at University Boulevard and Piney Branch Road. Further east into PG County and Langley Park, the off-brand Lowest Price peddles cheap gas for $2.52 at 193 and 23^rd Avenue.

Where to Buy Cheap Gas in Silver Spring, Maryland

Silver Spring residents make the pilgrimage to the Burtonsville Freestate for cheap gas. The majority of Marylanders should make the trek on the weekends or during off-peak hours to avoid the notorious traffic congestion of the Washington metropolitan area.

Route 29 has been converted from a quiet four-lane divided roadway into its current status as a quasi limited-access route to mirror the explosive growth of suburban Maryland and Howard County. Despite the expansion, 29 remains a traffic nightmare from the 198 exits to the Four Corners Beltway merge amidst rush hour periods. I would never advise that motorists grapple with 29 to save a few bucks.

Still, the Burtonsville Freestate at 15411 Old Columbia Pike (MD 198) always undercuts the competition. The throwback gasoline wholesaler is hawking cheap gas for $2.51 at the time of this writing. Silver Spring drivers will take Route 29 north and exit at 198 West for Burtonsville to buy Freestate gas.

Of course, old timers may prefer to make the trek up Old Columbia Pike past Paint Branch High School. The quaint, one-lane road represents a small pocket of Montgomery County, Maryland that remains immune to sprawl, gargantuan overpasses, and the sharp elbows of growth at all costs.

Happy Trails.

Where to Buy Cheap Gas in Silver Spring, Maryland, Sources:

The State of Maryland, http://www.maryland.gov/Pages/default.aspx

Silver Spring Gas Prices, http://www.marylandgasprices.com/Silver_Spring/index.aspx

Silver Spring, http://www.silverspringcenter.com/

Kofi Bofah, Where to Buy Cheap Gas in Montgomery County, Maryland, http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1970394/where_to_buy_cheap_gas_in_montgomery.html?cat=16