Rack market
Waco, TX
#150 of 422 U.S. rack markets by terminals
OPIS rack code 765
Gasoline & diesel
Biodiesel
- terminals
- 2
- pipeline systems delivering
- 3
- refineries in market
- 0
- refineries supplying market
- 15
- people in the trade area
- 614,111
- gal/day gasoline · estimated demand
- 991,773
- gal/day diesel · estimated demand
- 568,531
Terminals in this market
| Terminal | TCN | Location | Delivered by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fikes Wholesale Inc | T-74-TX-2749 | Waco, TX | Explorer Pipeline, Magellan Midstream |
| Flint Hills Resources Waco | T-74-TX-2707 | Waco, TX | Explorer Pipeline, Flint Hills Resources |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Explorer Pipeline | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| Flint Hills Resources | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Magellan Midstream | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
Refineries that can supply this market
| Refinery | Location | Via | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| CITGO Lake Charles Refinery | Lake Charles, LA | Explorer Pipeline | per research |
| CVR Wynnewood Refinery | Wynnewood, OK | Magellan Midstream | per research |
| ExxonMobil Baytown Refinery | Baytown, TX | Explorer Pipeline | per research |
| ExxonMobil Beaumont Refinery | Beaumont, TX | Explorer Pipeline | per research |
| Marathon Galveston Bay Refinery | Galveston Bay, TX | Marathon Pipe Line (MPLX) | per research |
| Motiva Port Arthur Refinery | Port Arthur, TX | Colonial Pipeline, Explorer Pipeline | per research |
| Valero Ardmore Refinery | Ardmore, OK | Magellan Midstream | per research |
| Valero Port Arthur Refinery | Port Arthur, TX | Colonial Pipeline, Explorer Pipeline | per research |
| Chevron Pasadena Refinery (Pasadena Refining System, Inc.) | Pasadena, TX | Magellan Midstream, Marathon Pipe Line (MPLX), Phillips 66 Pipeline | inferred (same city) |
| Kinder Morgan Galena Park Condensate Splitter | Galena Park, TX | Magellan Midstream | inferred (same city) |
| Petromax Refining Company | Houston, TX | Magellan Midstream | inferred (same city) |
| Phillips 66 Sweeny Refinery | Sweeny, TX | Phillips 66 Pipeline | inferred (same city) |
| TotalEnergies Port Arthur Refinery | Port Arthur, TX | Colonial Pipeline, Explorer Pipeline | inferred (same city) |
| Valero Houston Refinery | Houston, TX | Explorer Pipeline, Magellan Midstream | inferred (same city) |
| Valero Texas City Refinery | Texas City, TX | Magellan Midstream, Marathon Pipe Line (MPLX) | inferred (same city) |
Trade area
- people in the trade area · 2025 estimate
- 614,111
- rank of 422 rack markets by people
- #179
- gallons of gasoline a day · estimate, 2025
- 991,773
- gallons of diesel a day · estimate, 2025
- 568,531
- counties wholly in this market
- 3
- counties shared with other markets
- 14
| County | State | Share here | People counted here | Gasoline gal/day | Diesel gal/day | County population | Miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McLennan County | TX | 100% | 272,020 | 451,560 | 243,140 | 272,020 | 6 |
| Bell County | TX | 35% | 141,109 | 192,877 | 100,069 | 402,248 | 43 |
| Coryell County | TX | 100% | 85,592 | 73,792 | 34,601 | 85,592 | 43 |
| Hill County | TX | 60% | 23,852 | 87,355 | 78,590 | 39,503 | 29 |
| Bosque County | TX | 77% | 14,556 | 23,201 | 14,028 | 18,918 | 39 |
| Limestone County | TX | 55% | 12,471 | 20,302 | 10,823 | 22,849 | 30 |
| Falls County | TX | 67% | 11,926 | 28,586 | 19,419 | 17,869 | 24 |
| Hood County | TX | 14% | 9,715 | 10,054 | 4,806 | 70,501 | 74 |
| Erath County | TX | 20% | 8,694 | 13,997 | 8,129 | 43,911 | 80 |
| Hamilton County | TX | 100% | 8,680 | 18,434 | 12,189 | 8,680 | 60 |
| Lampasas County | TX | 33% | 7,741 | 12,096 | 6,121 | 23,657 | 72 |
| Freestone County | TX | 31% | 6,395 | 26,940 | 17,696 | 20,811 | 57 |
| Leon County | TX | 19% | 3,266 | 17,201 | 11,275 | 16,894 | 68 |
| Comanche County | TX | 22% | 3,223 | 5,755 | 2,825 | 14,432 | 89 |
| Somervell County | TX | 23% | 2,340 | 3,427 | 1,825 | 10,261 | 60 |
| Mills County | TX | 28% | 1,304 | 3,931 | 1,913 | 4,580 | 89 |
| San Saba County | TX | 21% | 1,221 | 2,257 | 1,078 | 5,787 | 105 |
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 a supply 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. The figure shown is the lowest route that starts where product enters the pipeline system; where a second pipeline is needed to reach here, both are costed. 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 · product adder
- 7.45
- ¢/gal · line-haul tariff · published
- 5.31
- ¢/gal · carrying cost · calculated
- 0.48
- ¢/gal · pipeline loss · published
- 0.16
- ¢/gal · terminaling · estimate
- 1.50
- days financed
- 9.5
Route used: from Pasadena, Houston on Explorer Pipeline to Waco (FERC No. 100.134.0 item Part III).
How this adder is worked, line by line
| Line | ¢/gal | Basis | Source or working |
|---|---|---|---|
| Line-haul tariff | 5.312 | published | Explorer Pipeline FERC No. 100.134.0 item Part III: Pasadena, Houston → Waco (McLennon County), 223.10 ¢/bbl |
| Carrying cost | 0.479 | calculated | $3.120000/gal × 5.9200% ÷ 365 × 9.471 days (1.971 in transit, 2.50 waiting on the cycle, 5.00 in terminal inventory); transit estimated: 189 pipeline miles at 4.0 mph (general estimate) |
| Pipeline loss | 0.156 | published | Explorer Pipeline FERC No. 100.134.0 item 45(b), tender deduction: 0.05% of volume at $3.1200/gal = 6.55 ¢/bbl |
| Terminaling | 1.500 | estimate | Flat estimate: no fee on file for this terminal |
| Product adder | 7.447 | Sum of the lines above, over the origin spot price |
Every published route, lowest adder first (10 of 10). Origins are priced at the same index here. "Origin must be cheaper by" is how far below the price at the origin of the route used above 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pasadena, Houston | Explorer Pipeline | Waco (McLennon County) | Fikes Wholesale Inc; Flint Hills Resources Waco | 5.31 | 0.48 | 0.16* | 1.50 | 7.45 | 9.5 | — | FERC No. 100.134.0 item Part III |
| Mont Belvieu (Chambers County, TX) | Explorer Pipeline | Waco (McLennon County) | Fikes Wholesale Inc; Flint Hills Resources Waco | 5.31 | 0.49 | 0.16* | 1.50 | 7.45 | 9.6 | 0.01 | FERC No. 100.134.0 item Part III |
| Port Arthur (Jefferson County, TX) | Explorer Pipeline | Waco (McLennon County) | Fikes Wholesale Inc; Flint Hills Resources Waco | 5.31 | 0.51 | 0.16* | 1.50 | 7.48 | 10.1 | 0.03 | FERC No. 100.134.0 item Part III |
| Port Neches (Jefferson County, TX) | Explorer Pipeline | Waco (McLennon County) | Fikes Wholesale Inc; Flint Hills Resources Waco | 5.41 | 0.51 | 0.16* | 1.50 | 7.57 | 10.1 | 0.13 | FERC No. 100.134.0 item Part III |
| East Houston, TX | Magellan Midstream | Waco, TX (McLennan County) only point in the city | Fikes Wholesale Inc | 5.74 | 0.48 | 0.31* | 1.50 | 8.03 | 9.5 | 0.58 | Texas No. 50.31.0 item 180 |
| Pasadena-MVP, TX | Magellan Midstream | Waco, TX (McLennan County) only point in the city | Fikes Wholesale Inc | 5.74 | 0.48 | 0.31* | 1.50 | 8.03 | 9.5 | 0.58 | Texas No. 50.31.0 item 500 |
| Valero Refining-Texas Houston Refinery | Magellan Midstream joint rate | Waco, TX (McLennan County) only point in the city | Fikes Wholesale Inc | 6.00 | 0.48 | 0.31* | 1.50 | 8.29 | 9.5 | 0.85 | Texas No. 80.8.0 item 100 |
| Texas City, TX | Magellan Midstream | Waco, TX (McLennan County) only point in the city | Fikes Wholesale Inc | 6.73 | 0.50 | 0.31* | 1.50 | 9.04 | 9.9 | 1.60 | Texas No. 50.31.0 item 410 |
| Wynnewood, OK / Ardmore, OK (Valero Partners Wynnewood) | Magellan Midstream joint rate | Waco, TX (McLennan County) only point in the city | Fikes Wholesale Inc | 8.84 | 0.51 | 0.31* | 1.50 | 11.16 | 10.0 | 3.71 | FERC No. 197.9.0 item 300 |
| Pine Bend, MN | Magellan Midstream joint rate | Waco, TX (McLennan County) only point in the city | Fikes Wholesale Inc | 25.21 | 0.95 | 0.47* | 1.50 | 28.12 | 18.7 | 20.67 | FERC No. 191.10.0 item 200 |
Diesel: product adder
- ¢/gal · product adder
- 7.80
- ¢/gal · line-haul tariff · published
- 5.31
- ¢/gal · carrying cost · calculated
- 0.75
- ¢/gal · pipeline loss · published
- 0.24
- ¢/gal · terminaling · estimate
- 1.50
- days financed
- 9.5
Route used: from Pasadena, Houston on Explorer Pipeline to Waco (FERC No. 100.134.0 item Part III).
How this adder is worked, line by line
| Line | ¢/gal | Basis | Source or working |
|---|---|---|---|
| Line-haul tariff | 5.312 | published | Explorer Pipeline FERC No. 100.134.0 item Part III: Pasadena, Houston → Waco (McLennon County), 223.10 ¢/bbl |
| Carrying cost | 0.748 | calculated | $4.870000/gal × 5.9200% ÷ 365 × 9.471 days (1.971 in transit, 2.50 waiting on the cycle, 5.00 in terminal inventory); transit estimated: 189 pipeline miles at 4.0 mph (general estimate) |
| Pipeline loss | 0.244 | published | Explorer Pipeline FERC No. 100.134.0 item 45(b), tender deduction: 0.05% of volume at $4.8700/gal = 10.23 ¢/bbl |
| Terminaling | 1.500 | estimate | Flat estimate: no fee on file for this terminal |
| Product adder | 7.804 | Sum of the lines above, over the origin spot price |
Every published route, lowest adder first (10 of 10). Origins are priced at the same index here. "Origin must be cheaper by" is how far below the price at the origin of the route used above 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pasadena, Houston | Explorer Pipeline | Waco (McLennon County) | Fikes Wholesale Inc; Flint Hills Resources Waco | 5.31 | 0.75 | 0.24* | 1.50 | 7.80 | 9.5 | — | FERC No. 100.134.0 item Part III |
| Mont Belvieu (Chambers County, TX) | Explorer Pipeline | Waco (McLennon County) | Fikes Wholesale Inc; Flint Hills Resources Waco | 5.31 | 0.76 | 0.24* | 1.50 | 7.81 | 9.6 | 0.01 | FERC No. 100.134.0 item Part III |
| Port Arthur (Jefferson County, TX) | Explorer Pipeline | Waco (McLennon County) | Fikes Wholesale Inc; Flint Hills Resources Waco | 5.31 | 0.80 | 0.24* | 1.50 | 7.86 | 10.1 | 0.05 | FERC No. 100.134.0 item Part III |
| Port Neches (Jefferson County, TX) | Explorer Pipeline | Waco (McLennon County) | Fikes Wholesale Inc; Flint Hills Resources Waco | 5.41 | 0.80 | 0.24* | 1.50 | 7.95 | 10.1 | 0.14 | FERC No. 100.134.0 item Part III |
| East Houston, TX | Magellan Midstream | Waco, TX (McLennan County) only point in the city | Fikes Wholesale Inc | 5.74 | 0.75 | 0.49* | 1.50 | 8.47 | 9.5 | 0.67 | Texas No. 50.31.0 item 180 |
| Pasadena-MVP, TX | Magellan Midstream | Waco, TX (McLennan County) only point in the city | Fikes Wholesale Inc | 5.74 | 0.75 | 0.49* | 1.50 | 8.48 | 9.5 | 0.67 | Texas No. 50.31.0 item 500 |
| Valero Refining-Texas Houston Refinery | Magellan Midstream joint rate | Waco, TX (McLennan County) only point in the city | Fikes Wholesale Inc | 6.00 | 0.75 | 0.49* | 1.50 | 8.74 | 9.5 | 0.93 | Texas No. 80.8.0 item 100 |
| Texas City, TX | Magellan Midstream | Waco, TX (McLennan County) only point in the city | Fikes Wholesale Inc | 6.73 | 0.78 | 0.49* | 1.50 | 9.50 | 9.9 | 1.70 | Texas No. 50.31.0 item 410 |
| Wynnewood, OK / Ardmore, OK (Valero Partners Wynnewood) | Magellan Midstream joint rate | Waco, TX (McLennan County) only point in the city | Fikes Wholesale Inc | 8.84 | 0.79 | 0.49* | 1.50 | 11.62 | 10.0 | 3.82 | FERC No. 197.9.0 item 300 |
| Pine Bend, MN | Magellan Midstream joint rate | Waco, TX (McLennan County) only point in the city | Fikes Wholesale Inc | 25.21 | 1.48 | 0.73* | 1.50 | 28.91 | 18.7 | 21.11 | FERC No. 191.10.0 item 200 |
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, 2026-10-26. Diesel: OilPriceAPI HEATING_OIL_USD, 2026-10-26. These are the New York Harbor futures benchmarks, not a Gulf Coast price.
- Interest rate: SOFR 3.92% (2026-10-23) + 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 (once for each pipeline on a two-pipeline route), 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, and tariffs that state no loss term.
- Terminaling: the carrier's terminal charge where its tariff states one (marked *), otherwise a flat 1.5¢/gal estimate.
- Which route sets the figure: the lowest one that starts at a supply origin. On Colonial that is Houston. A rate that starts part-way along a pipeline, or at a secondary origin, stays in the table but does not set the figure. Where a rate starts at a point another carrier delivers to, the first carrier's lowest rate into that point is added, with its loss and time in the pipe; terminaling is charged once. The same is done where one pipeline files the movement as two rates. Which origins are treated this way is our own review of each system, not a statement in a tariff.
- 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 Port Arthur on Explorer Pipeline
- 5.26
- ¢/gal · cheapest diesel · from Port Arthur on Explorer Pipeline
- 5.26
- ¢/gal · cheapest jet fuel · from East Houston, TX on Magellan Midstream
- 5.74
| Origin | Pipeline | Delivery point | Product | ¢/bbl | ¢/gal | Refineries at the origin | Tariff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port Arthur (Jefferson County, TX) | Explorer Pipeline | Waco (McLennon County) | gasoline, distillate | 221.10 | 5.26 | Motiva Port Arthur Refinery; Valero Port Arthur Refinery | FERC No. 100.134.0 item 114 |
| Mont Belvieu (Chambers County, TX) | Explorer Pipeline | Waco (McLennon County) | gasoline, distillate | 221.10 | 5.26 | ExxonMobil Baytown Refinery | FERC No. 100.134.0 item 114 |
| Pasadena, Houston | Explorer Pipeline | Waco (McLennon County) | gasoline, distillate | 221.10 | 5.26 | Valero Houston Refinery | FERC No. 100.134.0 item 114 |
| Port Arthur (Jefferson County, TX) | Explorer Pipeline | Waco (McLennon County) | gasoline, distillate | 223.10 | 5.31 | Motiva Port Arthur Refinery; Valero Port Arthur Refinery | FERC No. 100.134.0 item Part III |
| Mont Belvieu (Chambers County, TX) | Explorer Pipeline | Waco (McLennon County) | gasoline, distillate | 223.10 | 5.31 | ExxonMobil Baytown Refinery | FERC No. 100.134.0 item Part III |
| Pasadena, Houston | Explorer Pipeline | Waco (McLennon County) | gasoline, distillate | 223.10 | 5.31 | Valero Houston Refinery | FERC No. 100.134.0 item Part III |
| Port Neches (Jefferson County, TX) | Explorer Pipeline | Waco (McLennon County) | gasoline, distillate | 225.10 | 5.36 | CITGO Lake Charles Refinery; ExxonMobil Beaumont Refinery; TotalEnergies Port Arthur Refinery | FERC No. 100.134.0 item 114 |
| Port Neches (Jefferson County, TX) | Explorer Pipeline | Waco (McLennon County) | gasoline, distillate | 227.10 | 5.41 | CITGO Lake Charles Refinery; ExxonMobil Beaumont Refinery; TotalEnergies Port Arthur Refinery | FERC No. 100.134.0 item Part III |
| Port Arthur (Jefferson County, TX) | Explorer Pipeline | Waco (McLennon County) | specialty | 240.90 | 5.74 | Motiva Port Arthur Refinery; Valero Port Arthur Refinery | FERC No. 100.134.0 item 112 |
| Mont Belvieu (Chambers County, TX) | Explorer Pipeline | Waco (McLennon County) | specialty | 240.90 | 5.74 | ExxonMobil Baytown Refinery | FERC No. 100.134.0 item 112 |
| Pasadena, Houston | Explorer Pipeline | Waco (McLennon County) | specialty | 240.90 | 5.74 | Valero Houston Refinery | FERC No. 100.134.0 item 112 |
| East Houston, TX | Magellan Midstream | Waco, TX (McLennan County) same city (inferred) | gasoline, distillate, jet fuel | 240.94 | 5.74 | Petromax Refining Company | Texas No. 50.31.0 item 180 |
| Pasadena-MVP, TX | Magellan Midstream | Waco, TX (McLennan County) same city (inferred) | gasoline, distillate, jet fuel | 240.94 | 5.74 | Chevron Pasadena Refinery (Pasadena Refining System, Inc.) | Texas No. 50.31.0 item 500 |
| Valero Refining-Texas Houston Refinery | Magellan Midstream | Waco, TX (McLennan County) same city (inferred) | gasoline, distillate, jet fuel | 252.06 | 6.00 | Valero Houston Refinery | Texas No. 80.8.0 item 100 |
| Texas City, TX | Magellan Midstream | Waco, TX (McLennan County) same city (inferred) | gasoline, distillate, jet fuel | 282.75 | 6.73 | Valero Texas City Refinery | Texas No. 50.31.0 item 410 |
| Wynnewood, OK / Ardmore, OK (Valero Partners Wynnewood) | Magellan Midstream | Waco, TX (McLennan County) same city (inferred) | gasoline, distillate, jet fuel | 371.32 | 8.84 | Valero Ardmore Refinery; CVR Wynnewood Refinery | FERC No. 197.9.0 item 300 |
| Pine Bend, MN | Magellan Midstream | Waco, TX (McLennan County) same city (inferred) | gasoline, distillate | 1,058.63 | 25.21 | FERC No. 191.10.0 item 200 |
Supply resilience
- pipeline supply
- Diversified
- pipeline systems delivering
- 3
- terminals on two or more pipelines
- 2
- terminals with no pipeline tariff
- 0
3 pipeline systems deliver here.
If a pipeline system goes down
| Pipeline system | Terminals it reaches here | With no other pipeline | Which |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explorer Pipeline | 2 | 0 | |
| Flint Hills Resources | 1 | 0 | |
| Magellan Midstream | 1 | 0 |
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.
Nearby rack markets
Rack markets within 75 miles (straight line): where a buyer here could also lift.
| Rack market | Miles | Terminals | Pipelines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frost, TX | 46 | 1 | 1 |
| Hearne, TX | 57 | 2 | 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.