NILES — Rachel and Samantha Adams walked away from the pump Tuesday evening with one gallon of gasoline — and that was enough for them.
“I’m like, forget this,” Rachel said as she and her stepdaughter navigated the lines of vehicles at the Murphy USA station at the Niles Walmart. They used a container to purchase the $3.83-a-gallon gas for their truck.
Rachel said she is concerned about gas prices, which soared over $4 a gallon at some stations in Niles between Monday night and Tuesday morning.
“I just moved, and I have to drive my kids across town,” said Rachel, a Carberry Road resident.
Motorists were honking as vehicles jockeyed to get in line at the station, which often boasts the “cheapest” prices in town. Just down South 11th Street, some stations were selling gas for as high as $4.15 per gallon.
Lacey Gustafson, a Niles resident, usually buys gas at the Murphy USA. Filling up her Ford Taurus used to cost her about $35 a tank; now, a trip to the pump sets her back about $50.
“My husband and I usually don’t go out as much,” she said.
Area gas prices remained steady for about a week before the hike. The national average rose more than 21 consecutive days as of Sunday, and more increases are expected in April, GasBuddy.com senior petroleum analyst Patrick DeHaan reported.
According to GasBuddy.com, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, California, Washington, Oregon and Wisconsin have some of the highest prices in the U.S., with many areas topping out at $4.25 per gallon.  The lowest prices in the country Tuesday — about $3.51 per gallon — were primarily in the Upper Midwest and some southern states.
Colorado, overall, had the lowest prices Tuesday.