I use Google Maps and its companion Google Street View every day in one way or another. It’s amazing how far technology has come a long way since we had a folded map in the glove compartment that we used to navigate, or even the Grand Daddy of Maine maps, The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer.

Today, just by using our smartphones, we can navigate anywhere with Google Maps and even see our destination through Google Street View. Those cars with cameras on the roof have taken pictures from roads and highways all over the world and they are constantly updating them. I love this technology!

I recently stopped to gas up my car at Duck Pond Variety in Westbrook, which I pass by every day on my way to and from work. I looked at the price of gas on their sign and my curious mind had a thought. What has the price of gas been over the past decade or so since Google Street View became a thing?

I dove into the map and found the Duck Pond Variety sign in 8 photos from 2011 to 2024 to show how much the price of gas has fluctuated over the past 13 years.

Keep in mind that gas prices vary from place to place, and these prices and only what Duck Pond Variety was selling gas at. Your gas station may be different. Let’s take a look!

August 2011 – $3.82/gallon

In 2011, Duck Pond variety was still called Highland Variety until it was bought in 2015. At the time gas was pretty expensive at $3.82.

November 2015 – $2.19/gallon

There’s a four-year gap of photos in Google Street View for Duck Pond Variety, but four years later, gas was at a very low $2.19.

November 2016 – $2.25/gallon

Exactly one year later, the price of gas was still about the same at $2.25.

August 2018 – $2.84/gallon

Two years later, Duck Pond Variety had a new digital sign displaying the price of gas as well as an electronic message board letting you know you could get a large one-topping pizza for $10.99 You could also get gas for about 60 cents more a gallon at $2.84.

June 2019 – $2.79/gallon

They had me sold on the homemade cheesecake whoopie pies, and the price of gas wasn’t terrible yet at $2.79.

November 2022 – $3.89/gallon

Boom! By 2022 gas was flirting with $4.00/gallon at $3.89. The world was recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and gas prices went back up and beyond previous levels.

September 2023 – $3.99/gallon

This one was a hard pill to swallow. $3.99 per gallon which is essentially $4.00 per gallon because gas gets sold by a tenth of a penny for no good reason whatsoever. This is also the year that Duck Pond Variety started selling liquor.

July 24, 2024 – $3.49/gallon

There was no 2024 Street View available, so when I stopped to gas up I snapped a picture. Today, gas has dropped since 2023 down to $3.49.