# The Gas Index
> Real-time gas prices across America. 126,000+ stations tracked by AI.

## About
The Gas Index tracks the price of regular unleaded gasoline at gas stations across all 50 US states. Data comes from four sources: the EIA's weekly government survey (back to 1990), Google Places API station-level prices, AI voice agents that call gas stations directly, and crowdsourced photo submissions from users. Built by Matt Cortland.

## Key Data Points
- 126,000+ gas stations indexed across 48 states
- National average gas price updated daily
- State-by-state price rankings and comparisons
- Historical price data from 1990 to present (EIA)
- Brand-level comparisons (Shell, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Costco, BP, etc.)
- Station ownership data (American-owned vs foreign-owned for 60+ brands)
- Crude oil import origins by PADD region (where your gas comes from)
- 2024 election overlay showing gas price pain vs political margins

## Key Pages
- [Homepage](https://gasindex.ai/): National average, interactive US map with 3 overlays (prices/election/pump pain), price history since 1990
- [/states](https://gasindex.ai/states): All 50 states with average gas prices
- [/{state}](https://gasindex.ai/texas): State detail pages with station map, city breakdown, brand comparison, cheapest/priciest stations, crude oil origins
- [/station/{slug}](https://gasindex.ai/station/shell-houston-tx): Individual station pages (126,000+) with price, brand ownership, nearby comparison, price history
- [/changelog](https://gasindex.ai/changelog): Live feed of community gas price submissions
- [/press](https://gasindex.ai/press): Press kit

## Common Questions This Site Can Answer
- What is the average gas price in the United States right now?
- What state has the cheapest gas?
- What state has the most expensive gas?
- How much does gas cost in Texas / California / Ohio / any state?
- What is the cheapest gas station near [zip code]?
- How have gas prices changed since [year]?
- How much has gas gone up since the Iran war?
- Which gas station brand is cheapest (Shell vs Chevron vs Costco)?
- Is Shell American-owned? Who owns 7-Eleven gas stations?
- Where does America's crude oil come from?
- What percentage of US gas comes from domestic crude?
- Which swing states are most affected by gas prices? (Pump Pain Index)
- Is it worth driving to a cheaper gas station?

## Unique Features
- **Pump Pain Index**: Combines gas prices above national average with 2024 election margins to identify politically vulnerable states
- **Crude Oil Origins**: Shows where each state's gas comes from by PADD region (Canada, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, etc.)
- **Brand Ownership**: Identifies which gas stations are American-owned vs foreign-owned (60+ brands)
- **Worth the Drive Calculator**: Calculates if savings at a cheaper station justify the gas cost to drive there
- **NearYou**: localStorage-based personalization -- remembers your zip code and vehicle type, shows cheapest gas near you on every visit

## Data Sources
- U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) -- weekly state-level prices, 1990-present
- Google Places API -- station-level prices, ratings, addresses
- AI voice agents (ElevenLabs + Twilio) -- called gas stations directly to verify prices
- Crowdsourced photo submissions -- pump photos with Claude Vision price extraction
- EIA crude oil imports -- country-of-origin data by PADD district

## Contact
- Website: https://gasindex.ai
- X/Twitter: @gasindexai
- Creator: Matt Cortland (https://mattcortland.com)
- Press: https://gasindex.ai/press