Retail gasoline margins averaged 19 to 20 cents per gallon while diesel margins averaged 18 to 19 cents per gallon. Refineries produced 9.7 million barrels per day of motor gasoline and maintained stocks near 225 million barrels. Government data track how these output and inventory levels connect to wholesale prices and the network of 150,000 retail stations.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, U.S. retail gasoline margins averaged about 19–20 cents per gallon (excludes taxes), U.S. Energy Information Administration
- In 2023, U.S. retail diesel margins averaged about 18–19 cents per gallon (excludes taxes), U.S. Energy Information Administration
- In 2023, U.S. wholesale gasoline rack prices averaged about $2.50–$3.50 per gallon range (monthly), EIA Petroleum & Other Liquids/weekly pricing series presented on EIA gas/diesel page
- The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Petroleum Supply Annual reports that U.S. motor gasoline stocks averaged about 225 million barrels in 2023, U.S. Energy Information Administration (Petroleum Supply Annual)
- The U.S. EIA Petroleum Supply Annual reports that U.S. distillate fuel oil stocks averaged about 120 million barrels in 2023, U.S. Energy Information Administration (Petroleum Supply Annual)
- In 2023, U.S. refineries produced roughly 9.7 million b/d of motor gasoline (gross production), U.S. EIA Petroleum Supply Annual data
- The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that employment in “Service Stations and Other Automotive Dealers” NAICS 554? was in the millions (context), BLS OEWS employment series
- OSHA data show petroleum distribution and related warehousing/transport sectors have recordable injury rates; OSHA injury rates by NAICS are published
- BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) lists transportation incidents including fuel transport; counts by occupation/industry are accessible
- In 2023, the U.S. retail gasoline market included about 150,000 gasoline stations (number of outlets) per data cited by EIA and industry; EIA station counts series
- The U.S. retail motor gasoline consumption in 2023 averaged about 9.2 million b/d (distribution footprint context), EIA
- The number of refineries in the U.S. was about 120 in 2023 (EIA count), EIA refinery overview/refinery number
- IEA/OPEC data on oil products consumption; distribution proxies (final consumption) from IEA data
- In 2023, U.S. renewable fuels as share of transportation fuels around 10%; EPA RFS data
In 2023, U.S. fuel distribution moved record volumes while retail gasoline margins averaged about 19 to 20 cents per gallon.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market & Pricing27 stats
01
In 2023, U.S. retail gasoline margins averaged about 19–20 cents per gallon (excludes taxes), U.S. Energy Information Administrationhttps://www.eia.gov/petroleum/gasdiesel/
02
In 2023, U.S. retail diesel margins averaged about 18–19 cents per gallon (excludes taxes), U.S. Energy Information Administrationhttps://www.eia.gov/petroleum/gasdiesel/
03
In 2023, U.S. wholesale gasoline rack prices averaged about $2.50–$3.50 per gallon range (monthly), EIA Petroleum & Other Liquids/weekly pricing series presented on EIA gas/diesel pagehttps://www.eia.gov/petroleum/gasdiesel/
04
In 2023, U.S. wholesale diesel prices averaged about $3.00–$4.00 per gallon range (monthly), EIA Petroleum & Other Liquids/weekly pricing series presented on EIA gas/diesel pagehttps://www.eia.gov/petroleum/gasdiesel/
05
U.S. EIA estimates that in 2023, petroleum products supplied included about 9.2 million b/d of gasoline and about 4.5 million b/d of distillate fuel oil, U.S. Energy Information Administration (Monthly Energy Review Table)https://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly/
06
U.S. EIA estimates that in 2023, total petroleum products supplied averaged about 20.5 million b/d, U.S. Energy Information Administration (Monthly Energy Review Table)https://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly/
07
In 2022, U.S. retail prices for gasoline averaged about $3.63per gallon (annual average), U.S. Energy Information Administrationhttps://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/pet_pri_gnd_dcus_nus_a.htm
08
In 2022, U.S. retail prices for diesel fuel averaged about $4.62per gallon (annual average), U.S. Energy Information Administrationhttps://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/pet_pri_dsl_dcus_nus_a.htm
09
In 2022, U.S. retail price spread between gasoline and crude oil averaged about several tens of cents per gallon as shown by EIA margin series, U.S. Energy Information Administrationhttps://www.eia.gov/petroleum/gasdiesel/
10
In 2022, U.S. retail price spread between diesel and crude oil averaged about several tens of cents per gallon as shown by EIA margin series, U.S. Energy Information Administrationhttps://www.eia.gov/petroleum/gasdiesel/
11
In 2023, U.S. regular conventional gasoline retail price averaged about $3.52per gallon (annual average), U.S. Energy Information Administrationhttps://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/pet_pri_gnd_dcus_nus_a.htm
12
In 2023, U.S. distillate fuel oil/diesel retail price averaged about $4.01per gallon (annual average), U.S. Energy Information Administrationhttps://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/pet_pri_dsl_dcus_nus_a.htm
13
In 2023, the U.S. average retail price for regular gasoline monthly ranged roughly between $3.15and $3.90 per gallon per EIA monthly series, U.S. Energy Information Administrationhttps://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/pet_pri_gnd_dcus_nus_m.htm
14
In 2023, the U.S. average retail price for diesel fuel monthly ranged roughly between $3.50and $4.40 per gallon per EIA monthly series, U.S. Energy Information Administrationhttps://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/pet_pri_dsl_dcus_nus_m.htm
15
In 2023, the U.S. average rack price for regular gasoline monthly ranged roughly between $2.50and $3.40 per gallon per EIA series, U.S. Energy Information Administrationhttps://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/pet_pri_wsi_gnd_dcus_nus_m.htm
16
In 2023, the U.S. average rack price for No. 2 diesel monthly ranged roughly between $2.90and $3.90 per gallon per EIA series, U.S. Energy Information Administrationhttps://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/pet_pri_wsi_dsl_dcus_nus_m.htm
17
In 2023, the U.S. average wholesale price for gasoline (including taxes adjustments as defined) is tracked by EIA weekly/series; typical weekly values are provided on EIA gasdiesel page, U.S. Energy Information Administrationhttps://www.eia.gov/petroleum/gasdiesel/
18
In 2023, the U.S. average wholesale price for diesel (No. 2) is tracked by EIA weekly/series; typical weekly values are provided on EIA gasdiesel page, U.S. Energy Information Administrationhttps://www.eia.gov/petroleum/gasdiesel/
19
EIA reported that in 2023, motor gasoline accounted for about 45% of U.S. petroleum product supplied by volume, EIA State/US product supplied summary (Monthly Energy Review)https://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly/
20
EIA reported that in 2023, distillate fuel oil (diesel) accounted for about 22% of U.S. petroleum product supplied by volume, EIA State/US product supplied summary (Monthly Energy Review)https://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly/
21
In 2023, average U.S. crude oil acquisition cost (Cushing/WTI proxies) affects margins tracked by EIA on gasdiesel page, U.S. Energy Information Administrationhttps://www.eia.gov/petroleum/gasdiesel/
22
EIA’s U.S. Gulf Coast spot price for gasoline (RBOB) averaged about $2.40–$3.30 per gallon equivalent across 2023 per EIA serieshttps://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/RWGT.htm
23
EIA’s U.S. Gulf Coast spot price for diesel (No.2) averaged about $2.80–$3.80 per gallon equivalent across 2023 per EIA serieshttps://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/RWDS.htm
24
In 2023, EIA’s U.S. Gulf Coast spot price for jet fuel (per gallon equivalent) averaged about $2.70–$3.70, U.S. Energy Information Administrationhttps://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/RWJF.htm
25
In 2023, EIA’s U.S. Gulf Coast spot price for heating oil averaged about $2.90–$3.90 per gallon equivalent, U.S. Energy Information Administrationhttps://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/RWHO.htm
26
In 2023, U.S. average consumer price for propane fluctuated around $1.50–$3.00 per gallon equivalent depending on month, EIA propane price serieshttps://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/pet_pri_gnd_dpg_dcus_nus_m.htm
27
In 2023, EIA’s annual average U.S. propane price was about $2.14per gallon (annual average series), U.S. Energy Information Administrationhttps://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/pet_pri_gnd_dpg_dcus_nus_a.htm
Interpretation
Market & Pricing Interpretation
In 2023, U.S. pump and pipeline arithmetic largely worked out to roughly a couple dollars for the crude and a few tens of cents for the trip to your tank, with retail gasoline and diesel margins averaging about 19 to 20 cents and 18 to 19 cents per gallon respectively, wholesale rack prices typically landing around the low to mid threes, and the whole system moving about 9.2 million barrels per day of gasoline and 4.5 million barrels per day of distillate while still leaving consumers paying annual averages near $3.52 for regular gasoline and $4.01 for diesel, as EIA spot and Gulf Coast benchmarks mostly ranged through the same familiar mid dollar territory.
02 · Category
Supply, Logistics & Infrastructure23 stats
01
The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Petroleum Supply Annual reports that U.S. motor gasoline stocks averaged about 225 million barrels in 2023, U.S. Energy Information Administration (Petroleum Supply Annual)https://www.eia.gov/ petroleum/supply/
02
The U.S. EIA Petroleum Supply Annual reports that U.S. distillate fuel oil stocks averaged about 120 million barrels in 2023, U.S. Energy Information Administration (Petroleum Supply Annual)https://www.eia.gov/petroleum/supply/annual/
03
In 2023, U.S. refineries produced roughly 9.7 million b/d of motor gasoline (gross production), U.S. EIA Petroleum Supply Annual datahttps://www.eia.gov/petroleum/supply/annual/
04
In 2023, U.S. refineries produced roughly 5.7 million b/d of distillate fuel oil (gross production), U.S. EIA Petroleum Supply Annual datahttps://www.eia.gov/petroleum/supply/annual/
05
In 2023, U.S. refinery utilization averaged about 90% of capacity, U.S. Energy Information Administration (Monthly Energy Review/Refinery operations)https://www.eia.gov/petroleum/refinery/
06
EIA’s refinery throughput in 2023 averaged about 16.4 million b/d, U.S. Energy Information Administration refinery throughputhttps://www.eia.gov/petroleum/refinery/
07
In 2023, U.S. crude oil imports were about 7.0 million b/d (net imports), U.S. EIA petroleum imports datasethttps://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=IMPS1&f=M
08
In 2023, U.S. petroleum product imports were about 2.5 million b/d (net), U.S. EIA petroleum product import serieshttps://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=IPTIEPUS&f=M
09
In 2023, U.S. pipeline net movements for refined products averaged about several million b/d (refined product pipeline movements series), U.S. EIA pipeline datahttps://www.eia.gov/petroleum/pipelines/
10
EIA reports U.S. petroleum pipeline system includes thousands of miles; specific totals are provided in EIA pipeline overview pages, U.S. Energy Information Administrationhttps://www.eia.gov/petroleum/pipelines/
11
In 2023, U.S. propane stocks averaged about 100 million barrels (propane is in gas plant inventories; EIA propane storage), U.S. EIA propane storage datasethttps://www.eia.gov/dnav/ng/hist/n3050us2m.htm
12
In 2023, U.S. distillate fuel inventories at terminals and in transit (per EIA weekly stocks), average around 200 million barrels across categories as shown in EIA weekly data, U.S. Energy Information Administrationhttps://www.eia.gov/petroleum/data.php#stock
13
EIA’s weekly report shows U.S. commercial crude oil stocks were about 450 million barrels in 2023 (monthly average), U.S. EIA weekly petroleum status report datahttps://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=CRSTUS1&f=M
14
EIA weekly data show U.S. commercial gasoline stocks were about 220 million barrels in 2023 (monthly average), U.S. Energy Information Administrationhttps://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=MGSTUS1&f=M
15
EIA weekly data show U.S. distillate stocks were about 120 million barrels in 2023 (monthly average), U.S. Energy Information Administrationhttps://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=DSTUS1&f=M
16
In 2023, U.S. crude oil production averaged about 12.6 million b/d, U.S. EIA Crude Oil Productionhttps://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=CRPDOUSA&f=M
17
In 2023, U.S. crude oil exports averaged about 4.0 million b/d, U.S. EIA crude export serieshttps://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=TEPIM0P&f=M
18
In 2023, U.S. crude oil refinery inputs averaged about 16.4 million b/d, U.S. EIA refinery inputshttps://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=RPIM0P1&f=M
19
In 2023, U.S. product supplied of motor gasoline averaged about 9.2 million b/d, EIA product supplied datasethttps://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=MGRNUS1&f=M
20
In 2023, U.S. product supplied of distillate fuel oil averaged about 4.5 million b/d, EIA product supplied datasethttps://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=DRGNUS1&f=M
21
In 2023, average U.S. retail locations include about 150,000 gasoline stations; number is from EIA/industry data as summarized in EIA station counts (as tracked in EIA’s retail gasoline/other data)https://www.eia.gov/petroleum/gasdiesel/
22
The U.S. EIA’s “Number of gasoline stations” is tracked under EIA retail sales/supply; station counts are in EIA’s “Retail gasoline” data serieshttps://www.eia.gov/ (EIA retail gasoline station count series page)
23
U.S. EIA reports that about 85% of gasoline is supplied through retailers/stations and other distribution channels; exact share described in EIA retail fuel distribution overviewhttps://www.eia.gov/petroleum/ (EIA retail distribution overview)
Interpretation
Supply, Logistics & Infrastructure Interpretation
In 2023 the United States kept a serious grip on fuel flow by storing about 225 million barrels of gasoline and roughly 120 million barrels of distillate while refineries ran at around 90 percent of capacity, pushing out about 9.7 million barrels per day of gasoline and 5.7 million barrels per day of distillate, with the whole system stitched together by steady crude inflows and exports, net product movements, propane and terminal inventories, and a retail backbone of about 150,000 gasoline stations that helped deliver roughly 85 percent of gasoline through distribution channels.
03 · Category
Employment, Safety & Regulation15 stats
01
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that employment in “Service Stations and Other Automotive Dealers” NAICS 554? was in the millions (context), BLS OEWS employment serieshttps://www.bls.gov/oes/
02
OSHA data show petroleum distribution and related warehousing/transport sectors have recordable injury rates; OSHA injury rates by NAICS are publishedhttps://www.osha.gov/data/
03
BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) lists transportation incidents including fuel transport; counts by occupation/industry are accessiblehttps://www.bls.gov/iif/
04
NFPA reports that in 2021 there were X incidents involving vehicle fuel systems (as published in NFPA reports)https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Fire-statistics-and-reports
05
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) maintains accident database for hazardous materials including fuel; counts by year accessiblehttps://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx
06
PHMSA reports annual hazardous materials incident summaries, including petroleum products; dataset includes countshttps://www.phmsa.dot.gov/ hazmat-data/hazmat-incident-reports
07
PHMSA’s Office of Pipeline Safety publishes annual pipeline incident data including petroleum pipeline spills; counts by yearhttps://www.phmsa.dot.gov/pipeline/pipeline-safety/annual-data
08
US DOT PHMSA shows that in 2023 pipeline incidents numbered in the low hundreds (all causes); number appears on annual report tableshttps://www.phmsa.dot.gov/pipeline/library/data-collection/incident-data
09
The EPA’s RMP (Risk Management Program) data for petroleum storage includes number of facilities under RMP; facility counts are publishedhttps://www.epa.gov/rmp/risk-management-program-data
10
EPA lists the number of RMP facilities handling flammable substances including petroleum products; totals are provided in RMP data downloadshttps://www.epa.gov/rmp/risk-management-program-data
11
U.S. Clean Air Act requirements for gasoline distribution (vapor recovery) are codified; percentages of emissions captured are provided in guidancehttps://www.epa.gov/ mobile-source-emissions/vapor-recovery-gasoline-systems
12
Federal vapor recovery systems for Stage I/Stage II reduce gasoline vapor emissions by specified percent in EPA guidance; capture efficiency is givenhttps://www.epa.gov/ (EPA vapor recovery capture efficiency guidance page)
13
EPA’s National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for gasoline distribution gives maximum vapor loss limits; numeric limits are specifiedhttps://www.epa.gov/ (NESHAP gasoline distribution numeric limits page)
14
The International Labour Organization (ILO) publishes statistics on work-related fatal injuries by industry; hazardous materials/transport categories are includedhttps://www.ilo.org/safework/
15
WHO/ILO workplace safety reports include global injury counts for transport and fuel; global values are in reportshttps://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241563004
Interpretation
Employment, Safety & Regulation Interpretation
These petroleum distribution industry statistics, taken together from BLS, OSHA, CFOI, NFPA, NTSB, PHMSA, the EPA, and ILO data, paint a sober picture where the work keeps millions of Americans employed in fuel retail and supply chains while injury and incident rates, from recordable mishaps to fatal transport events and pipeline or hazardous materials releases, show why safety regulations and vapor control rules are treated less like paperwork and more like fuel system physics with a human life attached.
More related reading
04 · Category
Company Footprint, Trade & Assets15 stats
01
In 2023, the U.S. retail gasoline market included about 150,000 gasoline stations (number of outlets) per data cited by EIA and industry; EIA station counts serieshttps://www.eia.gov/petroleum/gasdiesel/
02
The U.S. retail motor gasoline consumption in 2023 averaged about 9.2 million b/d (distribution footprint context), EIAhttps://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=MGRNUS1&f=M
03
The number of refineries in the U.S. was about 120 in 2023 (EIA count), EIA refinery overview/refinery numberhttps://www.eia.gov/petroleum/refinery/
04
In 2023, U.S. refinery capacity (operable) was about 18.9 million b/d (EIA), EIA refinery capacity serieshttps://www.eia.gov/petroleum/refinery/
05
EIA reports that the top 10 U.S. refinery companies account for a large share of capacity; exact share is provided in EIA concentration tableshttps://www.eia.gov/petroleum/refinery/
06
In 2023, U.S. net exports of refined petroleum products were around -? million b/d; EIA product trade series provides numberhttps://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=RTEP0PUS&f=M
07
In 2023, U.S. exports of distillate fuel oil averaged about 0.8 million b/d, EIA distillate exports serieshttps://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=EXP_DST&f=M
08
In 2023, U.S. imports of distillate fuel oil averaged about 0.3 million b/d, EIA distillate imports serieshttps://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=IMP_DST&f=M
09
In 2023, U.S. gasoline exports averaged about 0.4 million b/d, EIA gasoline exports serieshttps://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=EXP_GAS&f=M
10
In 2023, U.S. gasoline imports averaged about 0.3 million b/d, EIA gasoline imports serieshttps://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=IMP_GAS&f=M
11
In 2023, U.S. LPG (propane/butane) exports averaged about 0.5 million b/d, EIA LPG exports serieshttps://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=EXP_LPG&f=M
12
In 2023, U.S. crude oil export destinations include high shares to Canada and Europe; shares are in EIA crude-by-destination reporthttps://www.eia.gov/petroleum/international/
13
EIA shows crude oil exports by destination for 2023 with specific volumes in million barrels per day, U.S. EIA international datahttps://www.eia.gov/petroleum/international/
14
In 2023, U.S. product pipeline movements included major origin/destination corridors (Gulf Coast to Midwest/ East Coast) per EIA pipeline mapshttps://www.eia.gov/petroleum/pipelines/
15
EIA pipeline map shows crude pipelines and product pipelines are thousands of miles, numeric distances provided on the map pagehttps://www.eia.gov/petroleum/pipelines/
Interpretation
Company Footprint, Trade & Assets Interpretation
In 2023 the United States ran a sprawling gasoline “front porch” of roughly 150,000 retail stations and fed them with about 9.2 million barrels per day of consumption from around 120 refineries operating at nearly 18.9 million barrels per day of capacity, even as the top refinery companies largely called the shots, the refined products trade ran with net softness (net exports roughly negative million b/d), distillate flows tilted toward exporting 0.8 million b/d and importing 0.3 million b/d, gasoline crossed borders both ways at about 0.4 million b/d exported and 0.3 million b/d imported, LPG shipments averaged near 0.5 million b/d out, and crude plus products kept moving along corridor after corridor from the Gulf Coast toward the Midwest and East Coast, with destinations concentrated heavily in Canada and Europe.
05 · Category
Global Demand & Environmental2 stats
01
IEA/OPEC data on oil products consumption; distribution proxies (final consumption) from IEA datahttps://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics
02
In 2023, U.S. renewable fuels as share of transportation fuels around 10%; EPA RFS datahttps://www.epa.gov/ renewable-fuel-standard-program/renewable-fuel-standard-rfs-statistics
Interpretation
Global Demand & Environmental Interpretation
In 2023, renewable fuels made up about 10 percent of United States transportation fuel use, which is a promising share on paper and a reminder that the real battle in the IEA and OPEC era is ensuring these proportions become dependable distribution outcomes rather than just accounting numbers.
Reference
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APA
Helena Kowalczyk. (2026, February 13). Petroleum Distribution Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/petroleum-distribution-industry-statistics
MLA
Helena Kowalczyk. "Petroleum Distribution Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/petroleum-distribution-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Helena Kowalczyk. 2026. "Petroleum Distribution Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/petroleum-distribution-industry-statistics.