Road Trip Cost Calculator
Fuel, tolls and time for a driving trip.
Reviewed by the Calculation Machine team · Updated 24 October 2026 · How we check our maths
Your values
ⓘ Live results
- Total cost
- $178.69
- Fuel cost
- $133.69
- Fuel used
- 38.8 gallons
- Cost per person
- $59.56
- Driving time
- 20h 0m
- Cost per mile
- $0.14
Working
- 1Fuel = (1,240 ÷ 32) × $3.45 = $133.69
Quick answer
A road trip's fuel cost is distance ÷ fuel economy × fuel price. Add tolls and parking for the total, then divide by the number of people sharing. A 1,240-mile round trip in a 32 mpg car with gas at $3.45 a gallon uses 38.8 gallons, costing $133.69; with $45 of tolls the trip costs $178.69, or $59.56 each for three people.
What the Road Trip Cost calculator does
This calculator gives the fuel used, fuel cost, total cost including tolls and parking, each traveler's share, the cost per mile and the driving time at your average speed. Choose one-way or round trip and it doubles the distance for you.
Use it to budget a vacation drive, compare driving with flying, or settle up fairly with friends after the trip. Get the distance from a mapping app, use your car's real-world mpg (the trip computer or a tank-to-tank check with the MPG calculator is more honest than the window sticker) and a fuel price for the region you will drive through.
The estimate covers fuel, tolls and parking only. It assumes steady fuel economy: heavy loads, roof boxes, mountains, air conditioning and high speeds all burn more. Food, lodging and activities belong in a travel budget, and the driving time excludes stops, so add about 15 minutes for every two hours behind the wheel.
The formula
Fuel used = D ÷ mpg Fuel cost = fuel used × P Total = fuel cost + T Per person = total ÷ N Time = D ÷ v
| Symbol | Meaning | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| D | Total distance driven (one-way distance × 2 for a round trip) | miles |
| mpg | Real-world fuel economy for the trip | miles per US gallon |
| P | Average fuel price along the route | $ per gallon |
| T | Tolls, bridge or tunnel fees and parking for the whole trip | $ |
| N | Number of people splitting the cost | people |
| v | Average moving speed, typically 55–65 mph on interstates | mph |
This is the standard fuel-cost method used by the US Department of Energy's fueleconomy.gov trip tools. It ignores wear and depreciation; for a full cost of running the car, the IRS standard mileage rate (70 cents per mile for business driving in 2025) is a useful benchmark. Electric cars need kWh per mile and electricity price instead.
Worked examples
Week-long vacation, three friends
A 620-mile drive each way in a 32 mpg sedan, gas at $3.45, $45 of tolls and parking, averaging 62 mph, cost split three ways.
Inputs
- One-way distance620 miles
- Trip typeRound trip
- Fuel economy32 mpg
- Fuel price3.45 $/gal
- Average speed62 mph
- Tolls and parking45 $
- People sharing costs3
Result
- Total cost$178.69
- Fuel cost$133.69
- Fuel used38.8 gallons
- Cost per person$59.56
- Driving time20h 0m
- Cost per mile$0.14
Fuel is $133.69 of the $178.69 total, so each person owes $59.56. The 20 hours of driving is the bigger planning issue: split it across at least two days each way.
One-way move to a new city
Two people drive 280 miles one way in a 25 mpg SUV with gas at $3.89, paying $18 in tolls and averaging 55 mph.
Inputs
- One-way distance280 miles
- Trip typeOne way
- Fuel economy25 mpg
- Fuel price3.89 $/gal
- Average speed55 mph
- Tolls and parking18 $
- People sharing costs2
Result
- Total cost$61.57
- Fuel cost$43.57
- Fuel used11.2 gallons
- Cost per person$30.78
- Driving time5h 5m
- Cost per mile$0.22
The trip costs $61.57, or $30.78 each, and about 5 hours of driving. A loaded vehicle or trailer can cut economy sharply, so a lower mpg figure is safer for a move.
Toll-heavy weekend in the Northeast
Four people drive 225 miles each way in a 22 mpg minivan with gas at $3.65, averaging 58 mph, with $96 of tolls, bridges and parking.
Inputs
- One-way distance225 miles
- Trip typeRound trip
- Fuel economy22 mpg
- Fuel price3.65 $/gal
- Average speed58 mph
- Tolls and parking96 $
- People sharing costs4
Result
- Total cost$170.66
- Fuel cost$74.66
- Fuel used20.5 gallons
- Cost per person$42.66
- Driving time7h 46m
- Cost per mile$0.38
Tolls and parking are more than the $74.66 of fuel, making the total $170.66 and $0.38 a mile. Each person pays $42.66; a toll-free route might be cheaper even if it uses more gas.
Adding up tolls on a multi-toll route
Toll costs depend on the road, vehicle class, time of day and how you pay, so add them up from the toll agencies or a route planner rather than guessing.
- List every toll point on the route: turnpikes, express lanes, bridges and tunnels. Many bridges charge in one direction only, so a round trip is not always double.
- Use the electronic rate if you have a compatible transponder (such as E-ZPass in the eastern US). Pay-by-plate or mail billing usually costs more.
- Count parking at hotels and attractions too; city hotel parking can exceed the tolls.
- Enter the total for the whole trip in the tolls field; it is added once, not per mile or per direction.
Converting liters, kilometers and UK mpg
The calculator works in miles, US gallons and dollars. Convert first if your figures are metric or imperial:
| You have | Convert to | How |
|---|---|---|
| Distance in km | Miles | km ÷ 1.609 |
| L/100 km | US mpg | 235.2 ÷ L/100 km |
| UK (imperial) mpg | US mpg | UK mpg × 0.833 |
| Price per liter | Price per US gallon | price × 3.785 |
| Speed in km/h | mph | km/h ÷ 1.609 |
What pushes road trip fuel costs up
- Speed: fueleconomy.gov notes that fuel economy usually falls off rapidly above about 50 mph, because aerodynamic drag grows with the square of speed.
- Weight and roof racks: a loaded roof box adds drag at highway speed; extra weight matters most in stop-and-go driving.
- Terrain and climate: mountain passes, headwinds and running the air conditioning hard all cut mpg.
- Price differences: fuel is often noticeably cheaper away from interstate exits and in lower-tax states. A price app helps you plan fill-ups.
For a cautious budget, knock 10% off your usual mpg for a loaded highway trip.
How to use the Road Trip Cost Calculator
- 1Enter the one-way distance in miles from a map app, then pick one-way or round trip.
- 2Enter your car's real-world fuel economy in US mpg and the average gas price along the route.
- 3Enter a realistic average moving speed — 55 to 65 mph for mostly interstate driving.
- 4Add the total of all tolls, bridge fees and parking, and the number of people sharing costs.
- 5Read the total, each person's share and the cost per mile.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate gas money for a road trip?
Divide the total miles by your car's mpg to get gallons, then multiply by the price per gallon. For 500 miles at 25 mpg and $3.50 a gallon: 500 ÷ 25 × 3.50 = $70.
How should passengers split road trip costs?
Most groups split fuel, tolls and parking equally among everyone in the car, including the driver. Some drivers also ask for a share of wear and tear, which the IRS mileage rate can help set.
Is it cheaper to drive or fly?
For two or more people over a few hundred miles, driving is usually cheaper because the fuel cost is shared. Compare the per-person total here with fares plus airport transport and bag fees, and weigh the flight time against the driving hours.
Does a round trip just double the cost?
The calculator doubles the distance and fuel. Tolls are entered as a trip total, so put in the full amount for both directions; some bridges and tunnels only charge one way.
How long will the drive really take?
The driving time is distance ÷ average speed with no stops. Add roughly 15 minutes for every two hours for fuel, food and rest breaks, plus time for city traffic.
References
- Driving More Efficiently (fueleconomy.gov) — US Department of Energy
- Standard mileage rates — Internal Revenue Service
About this calculator
- Built and reviewed by the Calculation Machine team · How we build and test calculators
- Last reviewed: October 24, 2026
- Report an error