Gas Stop Planner

How many gas stops will your road trip take?

Nothing derails a road trip schedule like an unplanned detour for fuel. This planner tells you, before you leave the driveway, how many fill-ups your trip will actually require and how far apart they should be. The math is simple and transparent: your usable range per tank is tank size × MPG × a usable fraction (0.8 by default, since nobody sensibly runs a tank to empty), and the number of fuel stops is the trip distance divided by that usable range, rounded up. A 1,200-mile drive in a car with a 15-gallon tank getting 30 MPG has 360 usable miles per tank, so you are looking at four stops roughly every 300 miles.

Everything runs live in your browser — no accounts, no uploads — and every number, including the 80% usable-tank buffer, is an editable input, so you can tighten or loosen the safety margin to match how you drive. These are planning estimates only, not professional advice; real-world range varies with terrain, load, weather, and fuel availability along your route.

How to use it

1. Enter your total trip distance in miles — one leg or the whole route.
2. Enter your vehicle's fuel tank size in gallons (check the owner's manual or fuel-door sticker).
3. Enter your realistic highway MPG. Loaded roof boxes and trailers can knock 15–25% off the window-sticker figure.
4. Adjust the usable tank fraction if you like a bigger or smaller reserve; results update instantly with stops needed, miles between stops, usable range, and total fuel burned.

FAQ

Why only use 80% of the tank?

Running below a quarter tank risks getting stranded between stations and can stress the fuel pump. The 0.8 default leaves a comfortable reserve; raise it toward 1.0 for dense interstate corridors or lower it for remote stretches.

Does the planner account for city versus highway MPG?

It uses whatever single MPG figure you enter. For mostly-highway trips, use your highway number; for mixed driving, use a blended average from your trip computer.

Can I use this for a diesel truck or an RV?

Yes — the formula is fuel-agnostic. Enter the tank size and MPG of any gas or diesel vehicle, including tow rigs and motorhomes.

How do I estimate total fuel cost?

The results show total gallons for the trip. Multiply that by your average expected price per gallon along the route to budget your fuel spend.