Creve Coeur Gas Watch: Metro regular eases to $3.668, diesel $4.722

Regular gas and diesel both eased in AAA’s St. Louis (MO only) metro price check on June 22, giving Creve Coeur-area drivers a small near-term break at the pump. The relief is modest, though, and diesel remains the larger cost pressure for fuel-heavy businesses.

AAA listed regular gasoline in the St. Louis (MO only) metro at $3.668 per gallon on June 22. That was down from $3.678 the day before, $3.822 a week earlier and $4.240 a month earlier. The same metro average was still well above the $2.876 AAA listed a year ago.

Diesel followed the same recent direction but remains much more expensive. AAA listed the St. Louis (MO only) metro diesel average at $4.722 on June 22, down from $4.739 yesterday, $4.961 a week ago and $5.580 a month ago. A year earlier, the metro diesel average was $3.323.

Why the diesel gap matters locally

The diesel average is about $1.05 per gallon higher than regular gasoline in the metro. That gap matters beyond personal fill-ups because diesel is a common operating cost for contractors, delivery fleets, landscapers, service vans and other businesses that move equipment, supplies or goods around St. Louis County.

For Creve Coeur, the price movement is most relevant to commuters using I-270, Olive Boulevard, Highway 40 and other daily routes, as well as households trying to manage weekly transportation costs. The City of Creve Coeur describes the community as located in the heart of St. Louis County with access to Interstate 270, Highway 40 and other major roadways, which is why the St. Louis metro price row is useful context for local drivers.

The price easing may slightly lower the cost of a routine fill-up compared with last week or last month. But because both regular and diesel remain above year-ago levels, the June 22 numbers do not mean fuel has returned to last summer’s cost environment.

How St. Louis compares with Missouri and the U.S.

The St. Louis metro is below the national average for both fuels. AAA’s June 22 national average was $3.929 for regular gas and $5.013 for diesel, compared with $3.668 and $4.722 in the St. Louis (MO only) metro.

Within Missouri, however, the St. Louis metro row is running higher than the statewide average. AAA listed Missouri regular gas at $3.603 and Missouri diesel at $4.592 on June 22, putting the St. Louis metro about 6.5 cents higher for regular and about 13 cents higher for diesel.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s latest weekly update, released June 16, showed U.S. regular gasoline and on-highway diesel prices falling from the prior week. EIA’s next scheduled update is June 23, which will give drivers and businesses another read on whether the broader decline is continuing.

What to watch next

For residents, the next practical question is whether the daily AAA metro average keeps easing through the week or stalls near current levels. For businesses, the bigger watch point is diesel: even after recent declines, the metro diesel average remains far above regular gas and well above its year-ago level.

Creve Coeur readers can help track the street-level picture by sharing the highest and lowest regular and diesel pump prices they are seeing around town, especially near I-270, Olive Boulevard and Highway 40.

Sources

• AAA Missouri fuel prices — St. Louis (MO only) metro row
• U.S. Energy Information Administration Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update
• City of Creve Coeur economic-development page