A popular gas price hack, Costco closes Columbia gas station for summer

The lines are often long, but the gas is relatively cheap — sometimes more than 20 cents less per gallon.

Costco is a popular gas price hack, especially when prices soar as they have during the war with Iran.

But shoppers at the Columbia Costco — yes, we know it’s actually in Elkridge, but that’s what the company calls it — won’t be able to get those deals at its gas pumps this summer.

Costco’s fueling station in the Gateway Overlook shopping center at 6670 Marie Curie Drive will close Monday for construction and remain closed until mid-August, according to signs posted at each pump this week.

The company is adding more pumps to the station, an attendant said Wednesday.

That will be a relief for fuel seekers later this year, but the closure comes at an inconvenient time. Gas prices are up about 50% since February, before the war, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

As a result, more drivers are turning to Costco for its discounted fuel. The company reported selling a record-breaking volume of gasoline in its third fiscal quarter, which ended May 10.

Columbia Costco shopper Selam Mekonen said it used to cost about $30 to $40 to fill up the tank of her green SUV. These days it’s closer to $60.

She has a 40-minute commute to work and plans to drive to the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee for a vacation this summer. Mekonen was shocked to hear the gas station will be closed soon.

“I’ll go gas up after this,” she said as she loaded groceries into the back of her vehicle.

About 97% of Howard County households have at least one vehicle, according to 2024 estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. The average cost of a gallon of regular gas in Howard is $4.21 — nearly 10 cents higher than the state as a whole, according to AAA.

It was $3.95 Wednesday at Costco, according to price-tracking service GasBuddy.

The discount comes at a cost. Costco’s base membership is $65 a year. For many vehicles, you’d have to fill up at least 20 times just to pay for the membership, so it may only make sense if you also shop there.

Some motorists were less concerned about the closure, noting other options.

Inder Gujral lives about five minutes from the Columbia Costco and doesn’t drive much now that he’s retired.

He’s noticed gas prices climbing higher, but said he and his wife will fuel up instead at the nearby BJ’s Wholesale Club, where they also have a membership.

Another shopper predicted the closure would push more drivers to BJ’s.

Still, not everyone was dismayed by the construction.

Ray Brewer shops at Costco, but typically gets his gas at Royal Farms or the Arundel Mills Costco because both are less crowded.

Brewer works from home and won’t drive as much this summer because his kids will be home too.

“I can get 10 cents off a gallon” at Royal Farms, he said. “It’s comparable to here.”