Rock Rapids, IA
#232 of 422 U.S. rack markets by terminals
- terminals
- 1
- pipeline systems delivering
- 1
- refineries in market
- 0
- refineries supplying market
- 3
- people in the trade area
- 332,183
- gal/day gasoline · estimated demand
- 440,747
- gal/day diesel · estimated demand
- 215,898
Terminals in this market
| Terminal | TCN | Location | Delivered by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nustar Energy Rock Rapids Terminal | T-42-IA-3472 | Rock Rapids, IA | NuStar Pipeline |
Pipelines delivering to this market
Each system with a tariff delivery point at one of this market’s terminals, and how many running refineries can ship on it to here.
| Pipeline system | Terminals here | Delivery points | Refineries confirmed | All reachable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NuStar Pipeline | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Refineries that can supply this market
| Refinery | Location | Via | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Borger Refinery (WRB Refining / Phillips 66) | Borger, TX | Phillips 66 Pipeline | inferred (same city) |
| CHS McPherson Refinery | Mcpherson, KS | NuStar Pipeline | inferred (same city) |
| Phillips 66 Ponca City Refinery | Ponca City, OK | NuStar Pipeline | inferred (same city) |
Trade area
- people in the trade area · 2025 estimate
- 332,183
- rank of 422 rack markets by people
- #260
- gallons of gasoline a day · estimate, 2025
- 440,747
- gallons of diesel a day · estimate, 2025
- 215,898
- counties wholly in this market
- 2
- counties shared with other markets
- 40
| County | State | Share here | People counted here | Gasoline gal/day | Diesel gal/day | County population | Miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnehaha County | SD | 75% | 158,604 | 175,374 | 68,804 | 212,691 | 34 |
| Lincoln County | SD | 58% | 45,030 | 53,226 | 25,114 | 77,145 | 29 |
| Lyon County | IA | 100% | 12,354 | 17,988 | 7,684 | 12,354 | 3 |
| Brookings County | SD | 31% | 11,780 | 13,510 | 6,792 | 37,635 | 72 |
| Nobles County | MN | 50% | 11,245 | 16,743 | 8,502 | 22,338 | 27 |
| Rock County | MN | 100% | 9,524 | 19,708 | 13,324 | 9,524 | 17 |
| Sioux County | IA | 24% | 8,818 | 11,273 | 4,283 | 36,774 | 24 |
| Davison County | SD | 30% | 6,103 | 8,494 | 4,080 | 20,069 | 100 |
| Beadle County | SD | 30% | 5,809 | 5,824 | 2,535 | 19,624 | 124 |
| Yankton County | SD | 21% | 4,954 | 5,615 | 2,268 | 23,635 | 67 |
| Lake County | SD | 44% | 4,846 | 5,300 | 2,398 | 10,993 | 62 |
| Pipestone County | MN | 45% | 4,169 | 5,775 | 2,179 | 9,260 | 40 |
| Turner County | SD | 41% | 3,812 | 4,784 | 2,627 | 9,314 | 49 |
| Moody County | SD | 55% | 3,648 | 14,343 | 11,787 | 6,632 | 47 |
| McCook County | SD | 61% | 3,628 | 13,058 | 10,477 | 5,964 | 61 |
| O'Brien County | IA | 22% | 3,160 | 4,162 | 1,711 | 14,220 | 37 |
| Hughes County | SD | 18% | 3,150 | 3,431 | 1,205 | 17,570 | 200 |
| Clay County | SD | 20% | 2,934 | 3,140 | 1,502 | 15,031 | 53 |
| Hamlin County | SD | 33% | 2,247 | 3,369 | 2,184 | 6,900 | 99 |
| Hutchinson County | SD | 28% | 2,084 | 3,428 | 2,059 | 7,413 | 79 |
| Charles Mix County | SD | 22% | 2,010 | 2,239 | 1,310 | 9,303 | 122 |
| Kingsbury County | SD | 36% | 1,876 | 3,406 | 2,027 | 5,284 | 92 |
| Osceola County | IA | 29% | 1,755 | 3,758 | 1,774 | 5,980 | 28 |
| Murray County | MN | 21% | 1,671 | 2,557 | 955 | 7,942 | 46 |
| Cherokee County | IA | 14% | 1,579 | 2,217 | 945 | 11,369 | 55 |
| Brule County | SD | 26% | 1,372 | 4,495 | 3,608 | 5,278 | 147 |
| Bon Homme County | SD | 19% | 1,358 | 1,697 | 949 | 7,244 | 91 |
| Cottonwood County | MN | 11% | 1,272 | 1,782 | 632 | 11,405 | 64 |
| Spink County | SD | 20% | 1,246 | 2,371 | 1,464 | 6,155 | 148 |
| Tripp County | SD | 21% | 1,216 | 1,639 | 992 | 5,708 | 185 |
| Hanson County | SD | 34% | 1,184 | 4,953 | 4,235 | 3,456 | 82 |
| Clark County | SD | 24% | 960 | 1,714 | 1,075 | 4,031 | 124 |
| Lyman County | SD | 25% | 938 | 5,912 | 5,071 | 3,694 | 185 |
| Gregory County | SD | 21% | 846 | 1,295 | 754 | 4,037 | 153 |
| Miner County | SD | 35% | 797 | 1,439 | 883 | 2,281 | 81 |
| Aurora County | SD | 28% | 785 | 3,880 | 3,427 | 2,801 | 121 |
| Sanborn County | SD | 32% | 762 | 2,028 | 1,267 | 2,388 | 103 |
| Hand County | SD | 24% | 737 | 1,337 | 900 | 3,121 | 160 |
| Douglas County | SD | 25% | 721 | 1,195 | 713 | 2,888 | 109 |
| Buffalo County | SD | 27% | 492 | 756 | 422 | 1,802 | 156 |
| Jerauld County | SD | 29% | 485 | 979 | 591 | 1,654 | 129 |
| Hyde County | SD | 19% | 226 | 561 | 393 | 1,191 | 180 |
Fuel demand is an estimate: each state’s taxed gallons for the year (FHWA) are split among its counties by where the driving happens (EPA county vehicle miles, weighted by how much fuel each vehicle type burns), then shared to markets as above. Every state adds back to its FHWA total. Gasoline includes the ethanol blended into it; diesel is FHWA’s special fuels. Expect diesel to be least reliable along long-haul corridors, where trucks buy fuel in one county and burn it in another. Population: U.S. Census Bureau county estimates.
How good is it? Checked in October 2026 against the county retail sales Iowa and California publish: for gasoline, about 3–5% of gallons landed in the wrong rack market and a typical market was within 5–6%. For diesel, 14–21% landed in the wrong market and a typical market was 30–45% off, with truck-stop corridors such as Bakersfield and Stockton under-counted. Treat gasoline as a working estimate and diesel as a rough guide.
Cost to serve this market by pipeline
What it costs to move a gallon here from each pipeline origin at filed tariff rates: line-haul, the cost of financing the product on the way and in the tank, pipeline loss, and terminaling. It is a cost at filed rates, not a market price: add it to the origin spot price for a delivered cost. Lines marked "estimate" are placeholders until the pipeline or terminal figure is on file; in the routes table, * marks a figure taken from the tariff.
Gasoline: product adder
- ¢/gal · lowest adder
- 8.11
- ¢/gal · line-haul tariff · published
- 6.66
- ¢/gal · carrying cost · calculated
- 0.62
- ¢/gal · pipeline loss · published
- 0.16
- ¢/gal · terminaling · published
- 0.66
- days financed
- 11.8
Lowest route: from McPherson, KS on NuStar Pipeline to Rock Rapids, IA (FERC No. 17.47.0 item 100).
How the lowest adder is worked, line by line
| Line | ¢/gal | Basis | Source or working |
|---|---|---|---|
| Line-haul tariff | 6.660 | published | NuStar Pipeline FERC No. 17.47.0 item 100: McPherson, KS → Rock Rapids, IA, 279.71 ¢/bbl |
| Carrying cost | 0.622 | calculated | $3.260000/gal × 5.9000% ÷ 365 × 11.813 days (4.313 in transit, 2.50 waiting on the cycle, 5.00 in terminal inventory); transit estimated: 414 pipeline miles at 4.0 mph (general estimate) |
| Pipeline loss | 0.163 | published | NuStar Pipeline FERC No. 17.47.0 item 20, tender deduction: 0.05% of volume at $3.2600/gal = 6.85 ¢/bbl |
| Terminaling | 0.661 | published | NuStar Pipeline FERC No. 17.47.0 item Item 85: 27.77 ¢/bbl carrier terminal charge |
| Product adder | 8.106 | Sum of the lines above, over the origin spot price |
Every published route, lowest adder first (3 of 3). Origins are priced at the same index here. "Origin must be cheaper by" is how far below the lowest route's origin a route's own origin price has to be before that route wins.
| Origin | Pipeline | Delivery point | Terminals | Line-haul | Carrying | Loss | Terminaling | Adder ¢/gal | Days | Origin must be cheaper by | Tariff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McPherson, KS | NuStar Pipeline | Rock Rapids, IA | Nustar Energy Rock Rapids Terminal | 6.66 | 0.62 | 0.16* | 0.66* | 8.11 | 11.8 | — | FERC No. 17.47.0 item 100 |
| Arkansas City, KS / Wichita, KS / El Dorado, KS / Conway, KS | NuStar Pipeline | Rock Rapids, IA | Nustar Energy Rock Rapids Terminal | 6.88 | 0.64 | 0.16* | 0.66* | 8.35 | 12.2 | 0.24 | FERC No. 17.47.0 item 100 |
| Ponca City, OK | NuStar Pipeline joint rate | Rock Rapids, IA | Nustar Energy Rock Rapids Terminal | 6.88 | 0.69 | 0.16* | 0.66* | 8.40 | 13.1 | 0.29 | FERC No. 17.47.0 item 130 |
Diesel: product adder
- ¢/gal · lowest adder
- 8.45
- ¢/gal · line-haul tariff · published
- 6.66
- ¢/gal · carrying cost · calculated
- 0.90
- ¢/gal · pipeline loss · published
- 0.24
- ¢/gal · terminaling · published
- 0.66
- days financed
- 11.8
Lowest route: from McPherson, KS on NuStar Pipeline to Rock Rapids, IA (FERC No. 17.47.0 item 100).
How the lowest adder is worked, line by line
| Line | ¢/gal | Basis | Source or working |
|---|---|---|---|
| Line-haul tariff | 6.660 | published | NuStar Pipeline FERC No. 17.47.0 item 100: McPherson, KS → Rock Rapids, IA, 279.71 ¢/bbl |
| Carrying cost | 0.897 | calculated | $4.700000/gal × 5.9000% ÷ 365 × 11.813 days (4.313 in transit, 2.50 waiting on the cycle, 5.00 in terminal inventory); transit estimated: 414 pipeline miles at 4.0 mph (general estimate) |
| Pipeline loss | 0.235 | published | NuStar Pipeline FERC No. 17.47.0 item 20, tender deduction: 0.05% of volume at $4.7000/gal = 9.87 ¢/bbl |
| Terminaling | 0.661 | published | NuStar Pipeline FERC No. 17.47.0 item Item 85: 27.77 ¢/bbl carrier terminal charge |
| Product adder | 8.453 | Sum of the lines above, over the origin spot price |
Every published route, lowest adder first (3 of 3). Origins are priced at the same index here. "Origin must be cheaper by" is how far below the lowest route's origin a route's own origin price has to be before that route wins.
| Origin | Pipeline | Delivery point | Terminals | Line-haul | Carrying | Loss | Terminaling | Adder ¢/gal | Days | Origin must be cheaper by | Tariff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McPherson, KS | NuStar Pipeline | Rock Rapids, IA | Nustar Energy Rock Rapids Terminal | 6.66 | 0.90 | 0.24* | 0.66* | 8.45 | 11.8 | — | FERC No. 17.47.0 item 100 |
| Arkansas City, KS / Wichita, KS / El Dorado, KS / Conway, KS | NuStar Pipeline | Rock Rapids, IA | Nustar Energy Rock Rapids Terminal | 6.88 | 0.92 | 0.24* | 0.66* | 8.70 | 12.2 | 0.25 | FERC No. 17.47.0 item 100 |
| Ponca City, OK | NuStar Pipeline joint rate | Rock Rapids, IA | Nustar Energy Rock Rapids Terminal | 6.88 | 1.00 | 0.24* | 0.66* | 8.77 | 13.1 | 0.32 | FERC No. 17.47.0 item 130 |
Inputs and assumptions behind these figures
- Product value (for carrying cost and loss only): the prior day's spot price. Gasoline: OilPriceAPI GASOLINE_RBOB_USD, 2026-10-07. Diesel: OilPriceAPI HEATING_OIL_USD, 2026-10-07. These are the New York Harbor futures benchmarks, not a Gulf Coast price.
- Interest rate: SOFR 3.90% (2026-10-06) + 2.0 points.
- Transit (estimate): straight-line miles between the tariff origin and delivery point × 1.15, at 4.0 mph unless the pipeline has its own figure.
- Days financed (estimate): transit, plus half a 5-day shipping cycle waiting to lift, plus 5 days of stock at the terminal.
- Pipeline loss: the charge or volume deduction the tariff states, where it states one (marked *; a deduction is costed at the product value above). Otherwise an estimate of 0.10% of product value per pipeline, two for a joint rate; that includes pipelines that share out actual losses without publishing a figure.
- Terminaling: the carrier's terminal charge where its tariff states one (marked *), otherwise a flat 1.5¢/gal estimate.
- Rates used: each pipeline's ordinary filed rate. Committed, volume-tier, discount and bid rates are left out, as are conditional fees (shown on each pipeline page), additives, taxes and the value of line space.
- Assumption set in force from 2026-10-01; review by 2027-01-01.
Published line-haul rates, all products and rate types
- ¢/gal · cheapest gasoline · from McPherson, KS on NuStar Pipeline
- 6.66
- ¢/gal · cheapest diesel · from McPherson, KS on NuStar Pipeline
- 6.66
| Origin | Pipeline | Delivery point | Product | ¢/bbl | ¢/gal | Refineries at the origin | Tariff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McPherson, KS | NuStar Pipeline | Rock Rapids, IA | gasoline, distillate | 279.71 | 6.66 | CHS McPherson Refinery | FERC No. 17.47.0 item 100 |
| Arkansas City, KS / Wichita, KS / El Dorado, KS / Conway, KS | NuStar Pipeline | Rock Rapids, IA | gasoline, distillate | 288.96 | 6.88 | FERC No. 17.47.0 item 100 | |
| Ponca City, OK | NuStar Pipeline | Rock Rapids, IA | gasoline, distillate | 288.96 | 6.88 | Phillips 66 Ponca City Refinery | FERC No. 17.47.0 item 130 |
Supply resilience
- pipeline supply
- One pipeline
- pipeline systems delivering
- 1
- terminals on two or more pipelines
- 0
- terminals with no pipeline tariff
- 0
One pipeline system delivers here: NuStar Pipeline. An outage on it leaves the market to truck, rail or water.
If a pipeline system goes down
| Pipeline system | Terminals it reaches here | With no other pipeline | Which |
|---|---|---|---|
| NuStar Pipeline | 1 | 1 | Nustar Energy Rock Rapids Terminal |
Counts pipeline systems with a tariff delivery point here, not capacity, storage or contracts. A system with two lines into the market still counts once, and a terminal with one pipeline may also receive by truck, rail or water. For a refinery or pipeline outage across every market it touches, open that facility’s page.
Delivered ethanol cost
- ¢/gal over Chicago ethanol · lowest in the market
- -10.02
- ¢/gal over Chicago ethanol · highest
- -10.02
An estimate for each terminal: the cheapest of published rail rates and trucking from the nearest plants, plus basis, transload, terminaling and carrying cost. Each terminal page shows the build-up line by line.
| Terminal | ¢/gal over Chicago | By | From | Miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nustar Energy Rock Rapids Terminal | -10.02 | truck | POET Biorefining - Ashton LLC (Ashton, IA) | 27 |
Nearby rack markets
Rack markets within 75 miles (straight line): where a buyer here could also lift.
| Rack market | Miles | Terminals | Pipelines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lemars, IA | 38 | 1 | 1 |
| Milford, IA | 54 | 3 | 2 |
| Sioux City, IA | 62 | 1 | 1 |
| Marshall, MN | 72 | 1 | 1 |
Rates are pipeline line-haul transcribed from published FERC tariffs; every figure cites its tariff and item. Cost to serve (netback) adds origin spot price and destination fees. "Confirmed" links match a tariff delivery point to the facility; "same city" means the point is in the facility's city — plausible, not proof; "per research" means the facility's research profile names the pipeline as an outlet.