Gas Mileage Calculator

Tracking Your Real-World Efficiency: The Gas Mileage Calculator

A vehicle's fuel efficiency, or 'gas mileage', is one of its most important performance metrics. It tells you how far your car can travel on a single unit of fuel. The most common unit in the United States is Miles Per Gallon (MPG). While manufacturers provide official MPG ratings, your real-world mileage can vary significantly based on your driving habits, road conditions, and vehicle maintenance. Calculating your own gas mileage is the best way to understand your car's true performance and track how your driving style impacts your fuel consumption.

This calculator simplifies the process. By entering the distance you traveled and the amount of fuel used to travel that distance, it instantly computes your vehicle's fuel efficiency. It's a valuable tool for monitoring your car's health—a sudden drop in MPG can indicate an engine problem—and for making conscious choices to drive more efficiently and save money on fuel.

How to Calculate Your Gas Mileage

The calculation is straightforward. The best way to get accurate numbers is to follow these steps:

1. Fill your gas tank completely and reset your trip odometer to zero.
2. Drive your car as you normally would until the tank is at least half empty. The longer you drive, the more accurate your calculation will be.
3. Return to the gas station and fill the tank completely again. Note the exact amount of fuel it took to fill the tank.
4. Record the number of miles on your trip odometer.
5. Use the formula: Mileage = Distance Traveled / Fuel Used.