Filling station
Facility selling fuel and lubricants for motor vehicles.
A filling station (also known as a gas station in the US/CA or petrol station in the UK/AU/NZ) is a facility that sells fuel and engine lubricants for motor vehicles. It serves as a local fuel depot and retailer, receiving fuel products from refineries via regular tank truck resupplies, storing fuels in typically underground storage tanks, and distributing fuel to motorist consumers at a daily varied price. The most common fuels sold include motor fuels such as gasoline and diesel, as well as alternative fuels like LPG, compressed natural gas, hydrogen, kerosene, alcohol fuels, and biofuels. Many filling stations also provide convenience stores selling food, beverages, tobacco, and other items, and some chain stores have added fuel pumps to their sites.
Lore & Background
Shortly thereafter, other pharmacies sold gasoline as a side business. In the United States, the first purpose-built gas station was constructed in St. The first drive-in filling station in the U.S.
Reader's Guide
Filling stations have been critical to the development of motor vehicle transportation since the late 19th century. The increase in automobile ownership after Henry Ford began selling cars the middle class could afford led to increased demand for filling stations. Early stations were known to motorists as 'filling stations' and often washed vehicle windows for free. Over time, stations evolved to include convenience stores and alternative fuel options. During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, filling stations became part of the country's critical civilian infrastructure, with Russian missile and drone attacks damaging or destroying numerous retail fuel stations. Filling stations continue to adapt to changing fuel technologies and consumer needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a filling station?
A filling station is a retail facility where motorists purchase fuel and engine lubricants for their vehicles. It functions as a local depot, taking in bulk fuel from refineries and dispensing it to drivers at prices that fluctuate day to day.
What fuels can I find at a filling station?
The lineup typically includes gasoline and diesel for standard vehicles, though many stations also stock LPG, compressed natural gas, hydrogen, kerosene, alcohol-based fuels, and various biofuels.
How does a filling station receive its fuel supply?
Tank trucks make regular resupply runs from refineries, delivering bulk loads to the station's storage system. The fuel is then metered out to customers through the pumps on the forecourt.
Why do people call it a filling station, gas station, or petrol station?
The name simply varies by region: 'filling station' is the broader international term, while the US and Canada prefer 'gas station' and the UK, Australia, and New Zealand use 'petrol station.' All three refer to the same type of fuel-retail facility.
Where is the fuel actually stored at a filling station?
Most stations keep their fuel in underground storage tanks buried beneath the forecourt, which keeps the product cool and out of sight. From those tanks, the fuel is pumped up to the dispensers where drivers top off their tanks.
More in Transportation 1-24
Elsewhere in the Transportation universe
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record