Costco’s First Stand-Alone Gas Station Is Officially in the Works — Here's What We Know

One of the perks of being a Costco member is not only gaining access to bulk buys, making individual pricing per item cheaper, but also access to more affordable gas. Costco wholesale stores offer a gas station nearby where members can go before or after they shop to fill up or even top off their tanks.

While it’s super convenient to have gas stations in the same lot as the warehouse store, they can get pretty crowded, and fast. That’s because not only are shoppers heading to the pumps, but also Costco members who aren’t shopping but just need fuel.

Maybe that’s why Costco has decided to experiment with stand-alone gas stations. Did we catch your attention? Well, keep reading to learn all about this new setup and find out where the first one will be.

Costco is looking to change up its traditional setup, which often includes a warehouse store and gas station all in one lot. Instead, it’s testing out stand-alone gas stations, which would mean the fuel stations are no longer in close proximity to the store as they typically are.

This would not only help alleviate the crowds that often form at the pumps, since you have both drivers (with Costco memberships) stopping for gas and shoppers, but provide a station strictly for those who just really are in need of gas. The move is expected to help clear the congestion that sometimes has people waiting in line for minutes on end or skipping gas altogether.

Aside from convenience, there also seems to be some financial perks that come along with stand-alone gas stations, and not just for consumers.

Since Costco gas is estimated to be between 10 and 30 cents cheaper than other gas stations, per U.S. News & World Report, it might attract more and even entice others to get a membership. That’s because gas prices are continuously climbing thanks to the war in Iran, and folks are looking for anywhere to turn to shave a few cents off fuel costs.

According to CFO Gary Millerchip, right now, about half of Costco members currently “cross-shop,” meaning they either visit the warehouse and get gas or vice versa, per the company’s 2026 second-quarter earnings report. But if gas continues to go up, he believes “that will tend to cause members to maybe take the extra mile that it might be involved to get to the gas station because of the incremental value they see there.”

Essentially, with Costco gas stations no longer tied to warehouse locations and operating as stand-alone sites, they could become more accessible overall, while still offering cheaper gas.

Now, Costco is still in the experimentation phase with this setup and is expected to open its first stand-alone gas station by the end of June, USA Today reports. The station will be located in Mission Viejo, Calif., about 50 miles from Los Angeles, but won’t be like typical Costco gas stations. In fact, it will be Costco’s largest, equipped with 40 pumps. And a second stand-alone gas station is expected to open in Honolulu in 2027.

Yes, Costco stand-alone gas stations will still require consumers to have an active Costco membership in order to pump gas. Memberships cost between $65 and $130, depending on the tier you choose.