Trip Fuel Stops Calculator
Estimate how many refuel stops a long drive needs from your tank range.
Count your fuel stops for the drive
Tell it the trip distance, your tank size, and your MPG, and it works out your real driving range after a safety reserve — then how many times you'll need to pull over and fill up.
Refuel stops needed
5
Times you'll stop to fill up en route
Usable range per tank
357 mi
420 mi full, minus reserve
Total fuel used
60.0 gal
Across the whole trip
How it works
Your driving range is your tank size times your fuel economy. A 14-gallon tank in a car that gets 30 MPG can theoretically go 420 miles on a fill. That's the number that decides how often you're pulling into a gas station on a long haul, so the tool works it out first.
But nobody sensible runs a tank to fumes. A safety reserve — say 15% — is fuel you refuse to burn, kept back for detours, traffic, or a stretch with no stations. Subtracting the reserve turns that 420-mile theoretical range into a usable range closer to 357 miles, which is what you actually plan around.
Divide the trip distance by that usable range and round up, and you get your refuel stops. Starting with a full tank, an 1,800-mile drive on a 357-mile usable range means four fill-ups along the way. Untick the full-tank option if you're setting off closer to empty and it assumes a shorter first leg.
Frequently asked questions
Why should I keep a safety reserve?
Because your real range is never the sticker range. Headwinds, hills, air conditioning, and a heavy load all cut your MPG, and stations can be 60 miles apart on rural highways. Keeping 10 to 20 percent in the tank means a closed station or a wrong turn doesn't leave you stranded.
How do I find my tank size and MPG?
Tank capacity is in your owner's manual or on the manufacturer's spec sheet, usually in gallons. For MPG, use your car's trip computer or divide the miles you drove by the gallons it took to refill. Highway MPG is the right figure for a long trip since most of it is cruising.
Does this tell me where to stop?
No — it only counts how many stops you'll need, not their locations. Use the usable-range figure it gives you as a spacing guide: if your usable range is 357 miles, plan a station roughly every 300 miles to keep a comfortable margin, and check a map for gaps on remote stretches.