Costco Gas Prices, Hours and Locations (2026)

Costco runs gas stations at many of its warehouses in the U.S. and Canada. These stations are only open to Costco members, and the fuel is usually priced lower than at most other places nearby.

It’s not unusual to save 10 to 30 cents per gallon at Costco compared to the gas station across the street.

You’ll find both regular and premium gasoline at most Costco fuel centers. Hours are usually longer than the warehouse itself, but they do change depending on where you are.

If you want to check today’s prices and station hours, it’s easiest to look up your local warehouse online.

Costco Gas Prices Overview

Costco’s gas prices are often about $0.20 per gallon cheaper than the market average. GasBuddy even named them the cheapest fuel station in the country for five years straight.

How Costco Sets Gas Prices

Their membership model, $65 a year for Gold Star, lets them keep fuel prices low. That annual fee is where the profit lives, so the gas doesn’t have to make much.

Costco buys gasoline in bulk straight from refiners, which means they get better deals. That savings gets passed along to members.

They run their gas stations with slimmer profit margins than most places. Fuel is a loss leader, plain and simple. It exists to get you into the parking lot.

Prices get tweaked based on local market shifts, supply chains, and taxes. So, you’ll see some regional differences. Costco usually updates them once a day, in the morning.

Current Price Trends and Examples

Costco updates prices daily, and members almost always pay less than at other stations nearby.

Most warehouses sell regular and premium. Diesel shows up at a smaller subset of locations, like the Dublin, Ohio Costco, so check before you drive over if you need it.

Premium fuel usually means even bigger savings compared to regular. The gap on premium can hit 22 to 51 cents per gallon in some markets, roughly double the regular-grade gap.

When gas prices spike, the difference at Costco can get even more noticeable. The reverse is also true. When prices bottom out, the local competition sometimes matches Costco exactly, and the trip isn’t worth the line.

Costco Gas Prices vs Other Stations

In most markets, Costco is one of the cheapest places to fill up. Of course, you do need a membership card, but that’s the tradeoff for lower prices.

Regular gas stations might charge 10 to 30 cents more per gallon. If you drive a lot, that adds up over the year.

Costco focuses on moving a ton of fuel, not making a huge profit on every gallon. Other stations usually have higher operating costs, and you pay for it at the pump.

The gasoline itself meets top-tier standards, so you’re not sacrificing quality for savings.

Sam’s Club and BJ’s price fuel the same way, and in some markets they undercut Costco. If you belong to both, check the app before you pick a lane.

Costco Gas Hours

Costco’s gas stations open earlier and close later than the warehouses. Most spots open up before the morning rush and stay open into the evening.

Hours shift a bit on weekends, and Sundays have the shortest schedule.

The full breakdown of Costco store, pharmacy, and gas hours covers how each department differs.

Typical Operating Hours

Most locations open at 6:00 AM and don’t close until 10:00 PM Monday through Friday. That’s pretty handy if you’re fueling up before or after work.

Saturdays also start at 6:00 AM but wrap up earlier, around 8:30 PM. Sundays are tighter, stations close by 7:30 PM.

Weekly Hours Schedule:

• Monday-Friday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM
• Saturday: 6:00 AM – 8:30 PM
• Sunday: 6:00 AM – 7:30 PM

Stations close on major holidays like New Year’s Day, Easter, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

Hours can change depending on your location, so it’s always smart to double-check before heading out. Costco has also been extending gas hours in some states, so an old listing may be wrong in your favor.

Finding Costco Gas Locations

Costco gas stations are available at select warehouses across the country. If you need to find one, there are online tools and a mobile app that show real-time prices and locations.

Using the Costco Gas Station Locator

The quickest way to find a station is the website locator. Just go to the warehouse locations page and click “Show Filter Options.”

Check the “Gas Station” box, then enter your city, state, or zip code. Hit “Find” and you’ll see all the nearby Costcos with gas pumps.

The Costco app is another easy option. Download it, tap the three-dot menu, pick “Gas Prices,” and search for what you need.

Each result shows you current prices and hours. The app even drops pins on a map, so you can see where to go.

Planning a road trip? Search “Costco Gas” in Google Maps. Every station drops as a pin and you can add them straight to your route as stops.

Popular States and City Locations

Costco fuel stations are in most states with warehouses. They tend to be busiest in big cities with lots of members.

California’s loaded with them, think San Jose and San Diego. Virginia has spots in Fairfax and Sterling. You’ll also find plenty in New Jersey, Nevada, and New Mexico. Here’s a full list if you’re curious.

Costco opened its first fuel-only location in Mission Viejo, California in 2026. It has 40 pumps, no warehouse attached, and runs 5 AM to 10 PM. Costco built it because the line at regular stations is a real problem, and 40 pumps is their answer to it.

Most stations open at 6:00 AM on weekdays and close at 10:00 PM. On weekends, closing time is earlier—usually between 7:30 and 8:30 PM.

Prices can swing quite a bit, depending on your region. The West Coast, for example, tends to be pricier than the Midwest or East Coast.

Membership Requirements for Costco Gas

You’ll need a valid Costco membership to buy gas at their stations. Both Gold Star and Executive memberships work, and you’ll scan your card at the pump to get started.

Accepted Membership Levels

All active memberships are good at the pump. Gold Star is $65 a year and gets you full access.

Executive costs $130, but you get 2% back on most Costco purchases, including gas. That’s a nice perk if you shop there a lot.

Both memberships get you the same price at the pump. The only real difference is the rewards for Executive members.

If you’ve got a household card linked to your main account, they can buy gas too. That’s handy for families.

Buying Costco Gas Without a Membership

There is one legitimate way in. A physical Costco Shop Card works at the pump, and anyone can use one, member or not.

A member has to buy the card for you first. After that, you swipe it at the pump like any other payment, and no membership scan is required.

Shop Cards never expire, and you can reload them. If you have one friend with a membership and a long commute, this is the workaround.

Verification Process at the Pump

Before you fuel up, you’ll scan your membership card. The pump checks the barcode or strip to see if you’re active.

If your membership’s expired, you won’t be able to pump gas. It checks in real time.

Once you’re verified, pick your fuel grade and start pumping. Payment is by Costco credit card, Visa, or debit with PIN.

No cash payments at the pump, so make sure you’ve got an approved card ready.

Benefits of Costco Gas

If you’re a Costco member, you get solid fuel quality and usually better prices than the competition. Membership fees actually cover most of Costco’s profits, so they can afford to keep gas prices low for members.

Quality and Fuel Standards

Costco sells Kirkland Signature gasoline, and it’s Top Tier certified. Costco says it carries five times the EPA’s required detergent in both regular and premium grades.

Those detergents can help your engine run better and last longer. The fuel is designed to prevent carbon buildup, which means fewer expensive repairs down the road.

Key Quality Features:

• Top-tier gasoline certification
• Deposit control additives
• Detergents for engine protection
• Consistent fuel quality across locations

Top Tier is the standard eight automakers back, including GM, Honda, Toyota, BMW, and Volkswagen. Cheap does not mean bad here. This is the same fuel that comes out of the regional terminals feeding the name-brand stations.

Potential Savings Over Time

Over a year, the savings on gas can really add up. Low prices are available to all members at every Costco station.

Since the gas stations are usually right next to the warehouse, it’s easy to fill up after shopping. That’s pretty convenient if you’re already there for groceries or a bakery run.

Annual Savings Example:

• Average driver: 12,000 miles per year
• Vehicle efficiency: 25 miles per gallon
• Annual fuel needed: 480 gallons
• Potential savings: $0.10-$0.20 per gallon

Do the multiplication and that’s $48 to $96 a year for one average car. At 10 cents, gas alone doesn’t cover the $65 membership. At 20 cents, it does, with $31 left over.

The picture changes fast with a bigger tank. A driver with a 20-gallon SUV filling twice a week in a market with a 40-cent gap clears $800 a year.

So here’s my honest read: if you drive under 10,000 miles a year and your local gap is a dime, the membership doesn’t pay for itself on gas. It pays for itself on everything else you buy on the way out.

Costco Gas Station Tips

Smart timing and payment choices can really save you time and money at Costco fuel stations. Knowing when gas stations are least busy and which payment methods work best makes every visit a bit smoother.

Best Times to Fill Up

The best time to avoid long lines is before 10 a.m. on weekdays. Most Costco gas stations get slammed between 5 and 7 p.m., when everyone’s heading home from work.

Weekend mornings? Also kind of a zoo, with families out running errands. Holiday weekends are rough, expect bigger crowds and sometimes higher prices.

Weekly pricing patterns show gas prices tend to dip early in the week. GasBuddy’s research puts Monday as the cheapest day in most states, with Tuesday close behind. The cheapest time to buy gas at Costco breaks this down state by state.

For holiday weekends, it’s smart to fill your tank a couple days ahead of the rush. That way, you dodge the price spikes and those epic lines.

About half an hour before closing, things usually quiet down. A lot of Costco gas stations stay open later than the main warehouse, so you can fill up without the crowds.

Be honest with yourself about the line, though. Twenty minutes of idling to save $2.40 on a 12-gallon fill is not a good trade, and Costco built a 40-pump station because enough people worked that out.

Payment Options Accepted

Costco gas stations take debit cards, Visa credit cards, and Costco Shop Cards. You can’t pay with cash, checks, or other credit cards like Mastercard or American Express.

The Costco Anywhere Visa earns 5% cash back on gas bought at Costco and 4% on eligible gas everywhere else. Read the fine print: both rates apply only to the first $7,000 in combined annual gas spending, and drop to 1% after that.

That cap works out to about $350 back in a year, which almost nobody hits on fuel alone.

Debit cards tend to process quicker, especially when the lines get long, but they don’t come with any rewards. If you don’t have the Costco Visa, load a Costco Shop Card using a rewards credit card and pay with that instead. The full list of accepted Costco gas payment methods covers what works and what gets declined.

Payment tips:

• Have your membership card handy
• Insert your payment before picking a fuel grade
• Hang onto receipts for cash-back apps
• Shop Cards never expire

You need a valid Costco membership for every transaction, unless you’re paying with a Shop Card. Most places want your membership card to match your payment method, so keep that in mind.