Miles for $10 to $100 of gas
This table uses the fuel economy and price in the calculator, so it changes when you change them.
| Gas money | Gallons | Miles |
|---|---|---|
| $10 | 2.9 | 71 |
| $20 | 5.7 | 143 |
| $40 | 11.4 | 286 |
| $50 | 14.3 | 357 |
| $75 | 21.4 | 536 |
| $100 | 28.6 | 714 |
Worked example: $40 of gas
- Fuel it buys: $40 ÷ $3.50 a gallon = 11.4 gallons
- Distance: 11.4 gallons × 25 MPG = about 286 miles
- Out and back: 286 ÷ 2 = about 143 miles each way
- At 30 miles a day, it lasts about 9.5 days
The same $40 goes about 400 miles in a 35 MPG car and about 229 miles in a 20 MPG truck. Fuel economy changes the answer as much as the price does.
How the distance is calculated
Distance = gas money ÷ price per gallon × MPG
Dividing what you spend by the price tells you how much fuel you're buying. Multiplying by your fuel economy turns that into distance. Days it lasts is the distance divided by what you drive in a day, and a full tank's range is the tank size times your MPG.
In metric, liters bought = money ÷ price per liter, and kilometers = liters × 100 ÷ L/100 km. The calculator converts between systems with 1 mile = 1.609344 km and 1 US gallon = 3.785411784 liters.
Cedrick Reese added this page because "how far will this get me?" is the question most people actually ask at the pump, not "what will this trip cost?" It runs the site's fuel cost formula in reverse, and every figure on the page, from the $40 example to the table, is checked by working the math back the other way: the miles shown, divided by MPG and multiplied by the price, should land on the dollar amount you entered. The car picker's MPG ratings come from the fueleconomy.gov dataset and are rebuilt whenever it's refreshed. Prices on the page are examples only.
Gas money questions
How many miles is $20 of gas?
Divide $20 by the price per gallon, then multiply by your MPG. At an example price of $3.50 a gallon, $20 buys about 5.7 gallons. A 25 MPG car goes about 143 miles on that, and a 35 MPG car about 200 miles.
How much fuel does $20 get you?
Divide $20 by the price per gallon. At an example price of $3.50 that's about 5.7 gallons, and at $4.00 it's 5 gallons. Use the price on the pump where you fill up for your own number.
How long does $20 of gas last?
Work out how far $20 takes you, then divide by the miles you drive in a day. If $20 covers 143 miles and you drive 30 miles a day, it lasts a little under 5 days. Enter your daily miles under More options to see your own figure.
Is $20 enough for gas money?
It depends on the distance. Enter $20 with the driver's MPG and the local price, and compare the miles it covers with the trip. If the drive is longer than that, the gas will cost more than $20. For a round trip, compare against the distance there and back.
How far can I drive on a full tank?
Multiply your tank size in gallons by your MPG. A 14-gallon tank in a 30 MPG car covers about 420 miles. Enter your tank size under More options to see what a full tank costs and how far it goes. Most drivers refill before empty, so plan on less.
More fuel tools
Know the distance and want the cost instead? Use the fuel cost calculator. Splitting gas money with friends on a road trip? The trip cost calculator works out each person's share.
Not sure of your MPG? Look up your car's EPA rating on our sister site, GasMileageCalculators.com.
To stretch a tank further, see how to save money on gas. Using E85? Compare it per mile with the E85 vs regular gas calculator.