Gas prices in Illinois average a dollar per gallon less than they did a year ago at this time. AAA Chicago's “Fuel Gauge Survey” shows an average price in the state of $2.60 for a gallon of unleaded fuel. That's almost a dollar per galln less than a year ago. The auto club's Beth Mosher credits supply-and-demand in the driver's favor.
Mosher says you shouldn't expect end-of-summer and Labor Day gas prices to be high. Illinois' $2.60 is a penny more than the national average and 32 cents below the July 2015 average. Downstate prices range from Decatur's $2.17 to East St Louis' $2.67. The city of Chicago is still $2.99, and the “Chicago metro” (Cook and collar counties) average is $2.76. Mosher says gas stations profit more from snacks and drinks sold inside the store than they do from the gasoline