Which States have 85 vs. 87 Octane Gasoline?

Which states have 85 vs. 87 octane gasoline?

Which states have 85 vs. 87 octane gasoline?

Our vans have always preferred 87 octane for the best performance.  It’s no issue in most places, even when we’re traveling, but in the Rocky Mountain states, it’s not uncommon for Regular fuel to be only 85 octane.

 

Most vehicles may actually perform better at high elevations with the lower grade octane – especially newer vehicles.  At the very least, most people don’t notice a major difference.  But others find they can watch the gas gauge go down if they put in any fuel sub-87 octane.

 



 

Since our vans perform better with 87+ octane, we always try to fill up before entering an 85-octane state.  And since I’ve always wanted a chart detailing exactly which states have 85 vs. 87 octane, I’m providing it below.

 

Which states have 85 vs. 87 Octane Gasoline*

 

State Lowest Octane Grade Available Comments
Alabama 87
Alaska 87
Arizona 87
Arkansas 86
California 87
Colorado 85
Connecticut 87 86 octane may be sold if labeled “economy”
Delaware 87
Florida 87
Georgia 87
Hawaii 87
Idaho 85
Illinois 87
Indiana 87
Iowa 87
Kansas 85
Kentucky 86
Louisiana 87
Maine 87
Maryland 87
Massachusetts 87
Michigan 87 85 or 86 octane may be sold if labeled “sub-regular”
Minnesota 87
Mississippi 87
Missouri 87
Montana 85.5 Montana is technically an 85 octane state; however, on our route across US-2 we saw only 87+ octane gasoline.
Nebraska 87
Nevada 85
New Hampshire 87
New Jersey 87 Attendants pump gas
New Mexico 85
New York 87
North Carolina 87
North Dakota 87
Ohio 87
Oklahoma 87
Oregon 87
Pennsylvania 87
Rhode Island 87
South Carolina 87 Some stations may sell lower octane gas if labeled “sub-standard” or “sub-regular”.  The western part of the state may legally sell 85 octane gasoline as “regular”.
South Dakota 87 The western part of the state allows 85 or 86 octane to be sold if labeled “sub-regular”.
Tennessee 87
Texas 87 Some stations at higher elevations may offer 86 octane gasoline
Utah 85
Vermont 87
Virginia 87
Washington 87
West Virginia 87
Wisconsin 87
Wyoming 85

 

*Note that a lower grade of fuel may be available in some states if labeled “sub-regular”.

 

*Note that this is for information purposes only.  I cannot be held responsible for the information provided here.*

 




Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Get Hiking Guides & Other Outdoor Fun!

Subscribe to View Junkie Adventure Report and get exclusive outdoor and hiking-related content.

We use Sendinblue as our marketing platform. By Clicking below to submit this form, you acknowledge that the information you provided will be transferred to Sendinblue for processing in accordance with their terms of use