Not 7-11, Not Chevron – This Company Has The Most Gas Stations In The US

Depending on where you live, your city may have several of the same branded gas stations from one end to the other. But while you're likely familiar with many of the logos and the companies behind them, you may not know which one has the most stations in the United States. That distinction goes to Shell, which has 13,605 stations throughout the country. This is according to third-party information from ScrapeHero, an online data gathering company. However, it's important to note that this figure may not be completely accurate, as Shell's official fact sheet puts the number of its gas stations at around 12,000.

The same caveat applies to Shell's biggest competitor, ExxonMobil, which SlashGear has reported previously as having some of the best quality gas in the United States. ScrapeHero has ExxonMobil in second place with 11,014 stations in the US, but again this number might not be entirely exact; this figure is under the more than 12,000 total reported by ExxonMobil's corporate site. So while it may seem Shell and ExxonMobil are close, their totals are approximations reported by the companies rather than exact real-time counts.

This is also true for the rest of ScrapeHero's top five, including Chevron, which officially reports over 8,000 locations, more than the third-party site lists. 7-11, a gas station chain you might not know is owned by a Japanese company, isn't listed by ScrapeHero due to how the stores are classified. Official 7-11 corporate reports list more than 8,200 stations in its network, including Speedway and Stripes, which are two brands owned by the same parent company.

As the number-one gas station chain in the US, Shell serves millions of customers every day in locations that are often operated by independent owners. But Shell is more than just a gas station chain, as the company owns several popular motor oil brands like Pennzoil and Quaker State. It also offers vehicle services through Jiffy Lube, operates EV charging points, and works with clean energy initiatives. Because of its widespread approach, Shell is able to offer services in all 50 states.

But Shell's U.S. expansion has come with its fair share of controversy. In 2013, the company faced environmental enforcement as a result of Clean Air Act violations. The problems occurred at the company's refinery in Deer Park, Texas, where Shell agreed to pay civil penalties, while also investing over $115 million to help control its pollution. That same year, Shell recorded a $2.1 billion impairment, reflecting losses on North American shale oil and gas projects on an initial investment of around $24 billion. These projects didn't deliver profits as the company expected. 

More recently, in 2023, a fire occurred at Shell's Deer Park facility. The fire began during routine maintenance and resulted in over 800,000 pounds of pollution being released into the air. Nine people were hospitalized because of the blaze, and dangerous compounds become airborne, affecting areas miles away from the plant. Months later, the Texas Attorney General brought a lawsuit against Shell, seeking civil penalties and damages from the company.