Gas prices stable in Montgomery County as Maryland governor, comptroller squabble over July gas tax hike

Gas prices on River Road in
Bethesda late Tuesday night

Gas prices, by and large, haven't increased that much in Montgomery County since last week. The most notable hikes spotted as of late Tuesday night were on River Road in Bethesda, topping out at 14 cents at one station. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) and Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot (D) have squabbled back and forth this week about the scheduled state gas tax hike from 36 to 43 cents on July 1, 2022. Hogan has asked Franchot to take action to protect consumers. The comptroller, who is running for governor, said he has no authority to do so. He suggested Hogan declare an emergency, or call the legislature back into emergency session.

Regular gas for cash-paying customers was actually down a cent from last Thursday at Marathon at 5143 River Road in Bethesda yesterday. Liberty on River was the same price as last Thursday yesterday at $4.69, according to the Gas Buddy app. But prices last night were up at other stations along that River Road strip: Sunoco was up 14 cents to $4.83. Mobil was up to $4.84, and Shell at $4.89. Citgo up on Westbard Avenue was 4-10 cents cheaper at $4.79.

Gas prices held steady in higher-priced downtown Bethesda. Regular was $4.97 at the Exxon at 8240 Wisconsin Avenue, and $4.99 at the two Liberty stations on Bradley Boulevard.

The cheapest cashless payment gas in Montgomery County as of late Tuesday night was found in Rockville at the Liberty station at 5400 Randolph Road, where regular was going for $4.45. If you can pay in cash, your buck would go further at Sunoco at 18701 Liberty Mill Road in Germantown ($4.42), Liberty at 26241 Ridge Road in Damascus ($4.43) and Freestate at 20650 Frederick Road in Germantown ($4.43).

As of last night, your other cheapest options are Carroll Motor Fuels at 26234 Ridge Road in Damascus ($4.45 cash), Liberty at 1900 Rockville Pike in Rockville ($4.46 - cash), and Shell at 2240 Veirs Mill Road in Rockville ($4.49).

In general, the cheapesr gas stations outside of Bethesda are largely charging about the same, or a few pennies more, as last week. 

Rockville gas prices up about 20 cents since Sunday

The price of a regular gallon of gas has exploded at the Exxon at 7975 Old Georgetown Road in downtown Bethesda this week. This past Saturday, drivers were paying $4.99 a gallon, and $5.00 was the new normal by Sunday. As of last night, however, a gallon of regular was already up to $5.29, a full 30 cent increase in five days.

As with last weekend, significantly lower prices can be found elsewhere in Montgomery County. Marathon at 5143 River Road in Bethesda was "just" $4.62-a-gallon yesterday, according to gas pricing app Gas Buddy. Liberty and Sunoco on that same stretch of River Road were at $4.69, which was the average price of gas along there on Sunday. Liberty stations in downtown Bethesda are selling regular for $4.99 a gallon this morning, the same price as last Sunday.

The cheapest gas in Montgomery County as of last night was at the Sunoco at 19235 Frederick Road in Germantown, at $4.40. It was two cents more a gallon at another Germantown Sunoco at 18701 Liberty Mill Road. It was $4.43 at Citgo at 14300 New Hampshire Avenue in Colesville, and $4.45 at Liberty at 5400 Randolph Road in Rockville. You'll pay a penny more at the other Rockville Liberty, located at 1900 Rockville Pike.

Gas was about 11 cents cheaper in Germantown last Sunday, and 20 cents cheaper in Rockville. For the masochist on the highways and byways, there's the Exxon at 6729 Goldsboro Road in Glen Echo, at $5.39.

Gas prices top $5.00 in Bethesda, as low as $4.25 in Rockville as drivers get pounded at the pumps in Maryland

Montgomery County gas prices are now higher than they were at the worst inflationary period in March 2022. Prices had dropped after Maryland instituted a temporary gas tax holiday, but have come roaring back since it expired on April 17, picking up steam in recent weeks.

The Exxon at 7975 Old Georgetown Road in downtown Bethesda, where there are few gas stations left, was at $4.99 and 9/10 cents Saturday in Bethesda. As of noon today, Google is giving the station's price for regular as $5.00 even. Liberty stations at the edge of downtown Bethesda were also at $4.99 as Sunday began. According to Gas Buddy, regular is $4.69 at Sunoco at 5201 River Road in Bethesda, where prices are usually significantly cheaper than downtown.

Gas is already over $5.00 at some stations. Exxon in Brookmont, a "last gas" stop before you hit the D.C. line out of Montgomery County, is charging $5.39, according to Gas Buddy. 

Drivers are faring much better than that elsewhere in Montgomery County. Regular is "only" $4.25 at Carroll Motor Fuels at 12600 Twinbrook Parkway in Rockville as of two hours ago. It's $4.28 at Fast Fuels on the main drag in Damascus, at 9871 Main Street. In Kensington, Econoway is charging $4.29, as is the Sunoco at 18001 Mateny Road in Germantown. Yet it is 10 cents more at the other Germantown Sunoco at 19738 Germantown Road, according to Gas Buddy.

Gas prices trending downward in Montgomery County + lowest gas prices at this hour

After leveling off over the weekend, gas prices have actually begun to fall slightly in Montgomery County, especially at gas stations that have sought to offer the lowest prices. For example, regular was going for $4.09 last Friday at Liberty at 19205 Watkins Mill Road in Gaithersburg. On Sunday, it was holding steady there at $4.09. But as of 10:00 AM this morning, regular had dropped to $4.05 a gallon at the station.

The weekend had also seen the second pricing tier stations begin to reduce their price. Some sellers who were charging $4.15 cut back to $4.14. Today, the second tier price is down to $4.11. Many stations are still selling at relatively-absurd prices, especially where choices are few. But it's intriguing that the market is adjusting itself downward at other stations, before Maryland lawmakers have even passed any gas tax holiday.

Another trend as we reach midweek is that the bargain hotspots are shifting more definitively upcounty, to Gaithersburg, Germantown and Damascus. Here are the lowest gas prices at this hour across Montgomery County, according to GasBuddy.com:

$4.05 Liberty - 19205 Watkins Mill Road, Gaithersburg

$4.05 Liberty - 623 S. Frederick Avenue, Gaithersburg

$4.11 Carroll Motor Fuels - 23418 Ridge Road, Germantown

$4.15 Freestate - 510 Hungerford Drive, Rockville

Lowest gas prices in Montgomery County, Maryland at this hour

Gas prices in Montgomery County are holding somewhat steady for the first time during the Ukraine crisis, according to the latest reports on GasBuddy.com. Cost per gallon is still $4.09 at Liberty at 623 S. Frederick Avenue in Gaithersburg, just like it was on Friday. The next tier of price in the county is actually 1 cent lower than it was on Friday. Liberty in Gaithersburg and Rockville appear to most often have the lowest price in the county over the last week. 

Drivers will take any good news in this situation, and this is the first to appear in this latest spike in gas prices. The cheapest gas in Maryland right now? $3.30 at Thirsty's in Delmar. Here is a list of the lowest gas prices across the county at this hour (remember, these are subject to immediate change):

Gas was $4.37 at Sunoco in Bethesda
yesterday afternoon

$4.09 Liberty - 623 S. Frederick Avenue, Gaithersburg

$4.09 Liberty - 19205 Watkins Mill Road, Gaithersburg

$4.14 Clarksburg Market - 23329 Frederick Road, Clarksburg

$4.15 Freestate - 15411 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville

$4.15 Shell - 2240 Veirs Mill Road, Rockville

Regular was going for $4.67 at the
Bethesda Liberty station yesterday

Lowest gas prices in Rockville and Montgomery County at this hour

Gas in the $3-$4 range is a distant memory now. The lowest gas prices reported across Montgomery County at this hour are all over $4 a gallon, according to GasBuddy.com. This is still way, way lower than folks are paying in places like California. 

Remember that prices are changing by the minute and the hour, and therefore are subject to change. In general, Rockville and the River Road commercial strip in Bethesda are still the places to find the lowest gas prices in Montgomery County as of today.

$4.09 Liberty - 5400 Randolph Road, Rockville

$4.09 Liberty - 623 S. Frederick Avenue, Gaithersburg

$4.09 Liberty - 19205 Watkins Mill Road, Gaithersburg

$4.09 (cash) Marathon - 5143 River Road, Bethesda

$4.15 Valero - 10616 Connecticut Avenue, Kensington

Lowest gas prices in Montgomery County at this hour

Here is a list of some of the lowest gas prices around Montgomery County at this hour. The prices were listed on Gas Buddy within the last two hours, and, of course, are subject to change by the minute or hour. Some of the lowest are in Rockville, and the highest in downtown Bethesda, Brookmont and Chevy Chase Lake.

Citgo on New Hampshire Avenue, Colesville: $4.03

Liberty on Randolph Road, Rockville: $4.09

Sunoco on Rockville Pike: $4.09

Valero in Kensington: $4.15

Safeway in Damascus: $4.15

Liberty in Gaithersburg: $4.17

Royal Farms on Watkins Mill Road in Gaithersburg: $4.19