Gas prices have ticked upward across the region over the past week, mirroring a statewide increase, but drivers in Marion and Sequatchie counties are still finding prices below both the Tennessee and national averages.
According to GasBuddy’s weekly survey, the average price of regular gasoline in the Chattanooga market rose 8.5 cents during the past week to $3.38 per gallon. Tennessee’s statewide average stands at $3.48 per gallon, while the national average is $3.85 per gallon.
Across the Sequatchie Valley and surrounding communities, motorists are seeing a range of prices depending on location.
In Marion County, some of the lowest reported prices in the area were found in Jasper, where Love’s Travel Stop on TVA Road was listed at $3.29 per gallon Monday. An Exxon station on Main Street in Kimball was also reporting $3.29 per gallon. Other Jasper-area stations ranged from $3.35 to $3.39 per gallon.
South Pittsburg drivers were generally seeing prices around $3.39 per gallon at several stations along Cedar Avenue, including BP, Lotto Mart, Rudder’s Market and Lottery Food Mart. Prices climbed as high as $3.59 per gallon at one South Pittsburg station.
In Sequatchie County, Dunlap motorists were paying between $3.36 and $3.59 per gallon. Murphy USA on Rankin Avenue was among the lowest-priced stations at $3.36 per gallon, while other stations along the Rankin Avenue corridor ranged from $3.44 to $3.59.
Whitwell drivers faced some of the highest prices in the valley. Both the BP and Raceway locations on Highway 28 were reporting $3.55 per gallon, while one local grocery store was listed above $4 per gallon.
Travelers heading up the mountain to Monteagle found some of the area’s most competitive prices. A Mapco station on West Main Street was listed at $3.29 per gallon, while most other stations in town ranged from $3.35 to $3.49 per gallon.
While local prices remain below the Tennessee average, analysts warn that international events could influence fuel costs in the coming weeks.
GasBuddy Head of Petroleum Analysis Patrick De Haan said gasoline and diesel prices declined in most states during the past week, but uncertainty surrounding tensions in the Middle East and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz could place upward pressure on oil prices if conditions worsen.
For now, however, drivers across the Sequatchie Valley continue to benefit from fuel prices that remain well below the national average, even as the market experiences modest increases heading into the summer travel season.
Lowest Reported Local Prices (June 20-22)
Jasper: $3.29 per gallon
South Pittsburg: $3.39 per gallon
Dunlap: $3.36 per gallon
Whitwell: $3.55 per gallon
Monteagle: $3.29 per gallon
The Chattanooga market average currently stands at $3.38 per gallon, compared to Tennessee’s average of $3.48 and the national average of $3.85.
