Road trip fuel split

Keeping friendship alive by doing the math fairly. Calculate the total gas cost and split it between everyone in the car.

Distance (Miles)

Gas Price ($ per gallon)

Vehicle MPG (City/Hwy Avg)

Number of People

Buffer for Side Trips / Detours (%) Accounts for driving around your destination

Each Person Pays:

$15.40

Total Fuel Cost $46.20

Gallons Needed 13.2 gal

The "Driver Tax"

I genuinely believe that if you’re the one driving your own car on a long trip, you shouldn't have to pay for gas at all. You’re the one putting thousands of miles on your engine, wearing down your tires, and dealing with the stress of traffic while everyone else naps or looks at TikTok. If your friends are cool, they’ll use this calculator with N-1 people to cover your share.

Pro Tip: Don’t just rely on the distance your GPS gives you. Every road trip has "mysterious miles"—the run to the grocery store once you arrive, the 20-minute detour because someone saw a cool roadside attraction, and the endless search for a parking spot. That’s why I added the 10% buffer. Better to have a few bucks leftover than to be Venmoing for a single gallon of gas on the way home.