Woman Road-Trips From Arizona To Wisconsin In Her Subaru. Then She Reveals What It Cost

Gas prices have reached new highs in America, driven by geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East and the Strait of Hormuz. A Subaru Crosstrek driver, Emily Fecteau (@emf14649), wanted to document just how much she would spend on gasoline to travel from Wisconsin to Arizona.

So, she recorded herself each time she stopped at the pump as part of her relocation from the Great Lakes state to the desert.

Arizona To Wisconsin: What Are The Fuel Costs?

“This is how much it costs to drive across the country with a full car,” she narrates while recording herself pumping gas at a QuikTrip station. By the time she’s finished fueling, the pump reads that the total cost of refueling her ride amounted to $53.85. Following this, Fecteau then records herself at a Casey’s pump in Colfax, Iowa. She notes that the price for gas is at $4.39 a gallon, resulting in a $57.52 charge, bringing her driving trip total to $111.13 in fuel costs alone.

Following this, she needed to get more gas in Cameron, Missouri, where Shell customers were being charged $4.25 a gallon. Her grand total here was $53.83.

After collecting the receipt, her video then cuts to her inserting her card at a FuelIntreat gas station in Emporia, Kansas. Total cost: $44.86. The second day of her trip saw her visit a Phillips 66 in Greenburg, Kansas, where gas prices dropped even more to $4.10 per gallon. Her card was charged $51.19, bringing her two-day driving total to $261.25.

Fecteau then traveled through Oklahoma, and she stopped at a Boise City Love’s to gas up her ride. It was the first time she spotted gas prices under four bucks: she paid $3.89 per gallon in the transitional state. Her grand total here came to $36.44, which she showed off on yet another receipt, noting that she “filled up a little early.”

Sketchy Gas Station = No Recording

At the next stop, the driver explained that she didn’t record herself purchasing gas because she felt uncomfortable with her surroundings. Fecteau noted that she stopped in Springer, New Mexico, to fuel up at $4.49/gallon but only spent $26.28 there. That’s because, again, she didn’t want to stay there longer than she had to.

While still in the Land of Enchantment, she parked her ride in front of a Sante Fe Maverick station pump. The $4.27/gallon price tag resulted in a $36.97 fill-up. Next up was a Speedway in Gallup, New Mexico, that totaled out to $49.15 at $4.29/gallon. And her last stop was at a Circle K in Heber, Arizona, with $4.59/gallon.

She explained to viewers that her final refueling wasn’t necessary due to the “downhill drive” to her destination. That came out to $46.91, leaving her with $457 flat in total gas costs for her journey.

States With The Highest And Lowest Gas Prices

Advisor Perspectives published a thorough breakdown of gas costs on Tuesday. According to the outlet, “the national average for regular gasoline stands at $4.49 per gallon [for regular] … premium averaging $5.45.” Furthermore, the outlet indicates that there’s been “a significant jump since the start of the year, with regular gas up 60% and premium up 45%.” Compared to just one year ago, gasoline is now, on average, 42% more expensive for drivers, and premium is up 32%.

But gas prices vary significantly by region. California residents are in the unenviable position of paying the most for gasoline; drivers are shelling out an average of $6.14 to fuel up their rides. Texas, on the other hand, sells car fuel for $3.97 on average. The website went on to state that only a handful of Southern states, Georgia, Mississippi, and Texas, are selling gasoline for under $4 on average.

Why Are Gas Prices Going Up?

In the same article, Advisor Perspectives broke down the factors that influence gas prices. In 2023, refining costs and profits composed 18.7% of the cost of a tank of gasoline. Distribution and marketing accounted for 14.3% of expenditures, and federal and state taxes ate up 14.4% of gas expenditures. The lion’s share of gas expenses, however, remains in how much it costs to obtain crude oil: 52.6% of gasoline costs rests here.

The crude oil market has seen some massive jumps in costs per barrel. On Monday, the “WTIC end-of-day spot price for crude oil closed at $104.38 [which was] a 6.4% increase from the previous week.” These figures are yet another sign of rising gas expenditures, which have only increased since January 2026.

When Will Gas Prices Go Down?

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U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright says that the cost of a gallon of gasoline may not dip below $3 per gallon until 2027. The Guardian reported that during a congressional hearing on April 16th, 2026, Wright said that determining when prices could fall below the $3 mark is difficult to determine, stating that it could happen in late 2026 or in 2027. Newsweek also reported in April that President Donald Trump stated gasoline prices would ultimately fall once the U.S.’s war with Iran is over.

Motor1 has reached out to Fecteau via TikTok direct message for further comment. We will update this story if she responds.

 

 

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