Gas Prices Just Jumped in New Jersey for Memorial Day Weekend

I drove to work yesterday morning and regular unleaded gas was in the $2.89 to $2.95 range and I was pretty happy.

I drove home from work yesterday afternoon and regular unleaded had jumped about a quarter per gallon to around $3.15 or $3.19.

I wasn't too happy.

So what made gas prices in New Jersey jump that much in such a short amount of time?

Did I miss a memo about a huge global event that sent economic shockwaves around the planet? Did I miss some high-level meetings between numerous elected officials that would change the course of human history?

Gas Prices Up in New Jersey for Memorial Day Weekend

No. It's just Memorial Day Weekend in New Jersey.

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Yep -- you've spent the last six months battling gloomy winter weather and now that it's the unofficial start of summer at the Jersey Shore, let's all get together, enjoy the long weekend -- and, of course, remember the true meaning of Memorial Day.

And since we'll all be driving somewhere, by all means, jack up those gas prices, baby.

The funny thing is, if you look online, you'll see dozens and dozens of stories about how gas prices are at their lowest for Memorial Day Weekend in years. And while that might be true, that doesn't make the 20-30 cent increase in the past few days any easier. It just gives me something to complain about.

The good news is that not every gas station has raised its prices (yet)... although we all know that when one does, they all do. So if you need gas, get it now.

Side note: remember back in the day when a couple of gas stations would be on the same corner and every once and a while, there would be a little gas war when one station tried to have cheaper gas than the other? Whatever happened to that? Now if you have two gas stations on the same corner, they usually both have the same price.

If you are heading down the shore this weekend, let's see what regular unleaded is going for...

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Lowest Gas Prices in South Jersey for Memorial Day Weekend

An independent gas station on Tilton Road in Egg Harbor Township was still at $2.86 as of lunchtime Tuesday.

This Lukoil station in EHT was at $2.93...

And this Sinclair station right around the corner was a few pennies higher.

Highest Gas Prices at the Jersey Shore for Memorial Day Weekend

However, right up the road, this local chain was at $3.11 (and "Upgrading Image" is such a bizarre name for a gas station)...

All of the Wawa stores in the area were already at $3.15...

Royal Farms was quick to respond...

And this Sunoco station, which we have documented in the past as having bizarrely high gas prices, was at $3.19 (or $4.99 if you need 94 octane!).

Free Tolls on Atlantic City Expressway Friday

If you wish to offset the increase in gas prices, plan your trip down the shore just right and you won't have to pay a toll (that's "a toll," not "tolls"). On Friday from 4 to 5 PM, a local restaurant chain will be paying the $4.40 toll on the Atlantic City Expressway for drivers (only at the Egg Harbor toll plaza).