Gas Wars II: QuikTrip opens second Rockford location on south side

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) – Another gas war may be brewing on Rockford’s south side now that QuikTrip has opened on the corner of Sandy Hollow Road and 11th Street.

“It’s better than all the gas prices,” said Rockford resident Mariah Hill.

At least for the foreseeable future, another QuikTrip in Rockford means another stretch of extremely low prices at the pump in the immediate area.

Whether the company is taking a loss by selling a gallon of regular unleaded gas for $3.05, isn’t known. Regardless, it simply doesn’t matter to many Rockford drivers. They’re filling up.

“You’ve got to pay for gas everywhere you go,” Hill said. “So, yeah it’s important to have [lower] gas prices because everything is going up in the world.”

Just like last August, when QuikTrip opened on East State Street just east of Hard Rock Casino with prices under $3, the south location is drawing big lines. And although some Rockford residents are driving several miles for cheaper gas, they say it’s worth it, especially for prices that are more than $.30 less than the region’s average.

“Especially if you drive a bigger car,” said Emily Miller, of Rockford.

Miller lives near the corner of East State Street and Alpine Roads and realizes she burns some fuel to get to and from a station with the lowest prices. But she says some deals are too good to pass up.

“I drive an SUV,” she said. “So, for me, it’s really important, honestly.”

When QuikTrip opened on the east side last year, the adjacent Mobil and BP stations did whatever they could to match the Oklahoma-based petro company, sparking a three-way battle for the best deal. QuikTrip won early on, but after a few weeks, things evened out.

Near the newest location, some competitors like Fas Fuel on 11th Street dropped their prices to $3.09 Friday afternoon, while others remained closer to the Rockford average of $3.36.

Find the best gas prices in Rockford here.