Road Trip Cost Calculator
Planning a road trip? Calculate exactly how much gas you will need and what it will cost. Enter the total distance, your car's fuel efficiency, and the price of gas to get a complete breakdown, including cost per person if you are splitting expenses.
The formula is straightforward: divide the trip distance by your vehicle's MPG to get gallons needed, then multiply by the gas price. The estimated drive time uses an average highway speed of 55 mph, which accounts for varying speed limits, traffic, and rest stops.
For round trips, either double your distance before entering it or run the calculator twice. Gas prices can vary significantly along a route, so using an average price from GasBuddy or a similar tool gives the most accurate estimate.
Splitting the cost among passengers makes road trips very economical. A 500-mile trip that costs $70 in gas comes down to just $17.50 each with four people, often beating the cost of a single airline ticket.