History of Filling station in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: July 12, 2026

A filling station, also known as a gas station or petrol station, is a facility that provides fuel and lubricants for motor vehicles. Modern stations often serve as multi-functional hubs, offering additional services such as convenience stores, car washes, and sometimes food services or repair bays. The fuel is stored in large underground tanks and dispensed through pumps equipped with meters. Over time, these stations have evolved from simple fuel depots into essential roadside infrastructure, playing a crucial role in modern logistics and personal transportation. Safety remains a primary concern due to the highly flammable nature of the products stored on-site, leading to strict regulatory standards regarding construction, vapor recovery, and fire prevention. As the automotive industry shifts toward electric vehicles, many traditional filling stations are now transitioning to include charging infrastructure, reflecting the changing landscape of global transit.

1905: First Purpose-Built Gas Station

In 1905, the world's first gas station designed specifically for that purpose was constructed in St. Louis, Missouri, located at 420 South Theresa Avenue.

1907: Construction of Second Gas Station

During 1907, Standard Oil of California, now known as Chevron, built the second gas station at Pier 32 in Seattle, Washington.

1909: Reighard's Gas Station Established

Reighard's Gas Station, located in Altoona, Pennsylvania, traces its origins to 1909 and is recognized as the oldest existing filling station in the United States.

1911: Establishment of first filling stations in Russia

In 1911, the Imperial Automobile Society entered into an agreement with the Br. Nobel partnership, marking the official introduction of the first filling stations in Russia.

1912: Establishment of the first U.S. drive-in filling station

In 1912, the first drive-in filling station in the United States was established by Standard Oil of Ohio at the corner of Young and Oak streets in Columbus, Ohio, allowing motorists to drive through the building to refuel.

December 1, 1913: Opening of the Whitehill-Gleason Motors Gulf station

On December 1, 1913, the first Gulf Refining Company drive-in station, known as Whitehill-Gleason Motors, opened in Pittsburgh. It was notable for being the first architect-designed station and for offering free road maps, selling 30 gallons of gasoline on its opening day.

1914: Expansion of Russian filling station network

By 1914, the infrastructure for refueling had grown significantly, with approximately 440 filling stations operating in major cities throughout Russia.

1920: Opening of South America's First Filling Station

In 1920, the first gasoline station in South America was inaugurated on Ana Costa Avenue in Santos, São Paulo, Brazil. The station was established by taxi entrepreneur Antonio Duarte Moreira under the Esso brand, situated at a location now occupied by the Hotel Atlântico.

1920: Beginning of Complimentary Road Map Distribution

Starting around 1920, service stations across the United States began the practice of offering free road maps to their customers, which were branded by their respective oil companies.

1947: First US Self-Service Filling Station

In 1947, Frank Urich established the first self-service filling station in the United States, located in Los Angeles.

1949: First Canadian Self-Service Filling Station

During 1949, the independent company Henderson Thriftway Petroleum, owned by Bill Henderson, opened the first self-service filling station in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

1949: Passage of the Retail Gasoline Dispensing Safety Act

In 1949, New Jersey enacted the Retail Gasoline Dispensing Safety Act, which officially prohibited self-service at filling stations throughout the state. Driven by lobbying from service station owners and concerns regarding fire hazards, the law mandated that attendants must handle fuel dispensing to ensure safety procedures like engine shutdown and smoking prohibitions are followed.

1950: Rein Motors challenges New Jersey self-service ban

In 1950, a small independent business known as Rein Motors filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of New Jersey's statute banning self-service, but the court ruled against their challenge.

1951: Oregon Prohibits Self-Service

In 1951, Oregon enacted a statute that prohibited self-service at filling stations, citing 17 justifications including fire hazards, crime risks, toxic fumes, and the preservation of jobs.

1968: Opening of the Richmond Mobil Station

The Mobil gas station in the Canob Park neighborhood of Richmond, Rhode Island, opened in 1968, marking the beginning of a long-term underground gasoline leak that would later be discovered to have affected the local water system since that year.

1970: Mass production launch of the Zhiguli car

In 1970, the Volga Automobile Plant in Tolyatti began the mass production of the Zhiguli automobile, which served as a major catalyst for the expansion of the retail gasoline station network.

1970: Transition in Filling Station Service Models

Prior to 1970, full-service filling stations were the standard in the United States, whereas self-service options were considered uncommon. This period marked a significant shift in how fuel services were provided to consumers.

1975: Arlington Self-Service Prohibition

In 1975, the town of Arlington, Massachusetts, implemented a prohibition on self-service filling stations.

1977: Weymouth Self-Service Prohibition

The town of Weymouth, Massachusetts, established a ban on self-service gasoline stations in 1977.

1980: Conclusion of Free Road Map Distribution

By 1980, the long-standing tradition of US service stations providing free, oil-company-affiliated road maps ended, largely driven by the economic pressures caused by the 1970s energy crisis.

1982: Ballot Measure Rejection

During 1982, voters in Oregon rejected a ballot measure backed by station owners that sought to legalize self-service at filling stations.

1983: 60 Minutes Exposes Groundwater Contamination

In 1983, a segment on the television program 60 Minutes brought national attention to the environmental risks of underground storage tanks after reporting on severe drinking water contamination caused by a Mobil station in Richmond, Rhode Island.

1985: Implementation of Storage Tank Regulations

Following the discovery of widespread contamination and the public outcry that followed, new regulations were enacted in 1985 to ban the use of certain types of corrosion-prone underground storage tanks.

1986: Cutoff Date for Storage Tank Records

By 1986, gas stations that had ceased operations prior to this date were largely unrecorded, leading to a legacy of abandoned and forgotten underground storage tanks buried beneath modern redeveloped land.

1989: ARCO challenges Oregon self-service ban

In 1989, the corporation ARCO took legal action to contest the constitutionality of Oregon's statute that prohibited self-service at filling stations, a challenge that ultimately did not succeed.

1993: Patent of the underground modular filling station

In 1993, the Finnish company U-Cont Oy Ltd developed and successfully patented a new construction model for underground modular filling stations.

1998: Legalization of Self-Service Filling Stations in Japan

In 1998, the Japanese government legalized self-service filling stations following the repeal of the Special Petroleum Law and the subsequent deregulation of the petroleum industry. This change marked a shift from the previous model where all stations were required to be full-service.

2000: Enactment of Federal Law Prohibiting Self-Service Fuel Filling in Brazil

In 2000, a federal law was enacted in Brazil by Federal Deputy Aldo Rebelo that made self-service fuel filling illegal, a move intended to preserve approximately 300,000 jobs for fuel attendants throughout the nation.

2003: Opening of the first alternative fuel station

In 2003, Pearson Fuels inaugurated the first-ever alternative fuel filling station in San Diego, California, marking a significant milestone in automotive energy infrastructure.

2008: Establishment of the Bertha Benz Memorial Route

In 2008, the Bertha Benz Memorial Route was established to commemorate the historic 1888 journey of Bertha Benz, who performed the first automobile refueling at a pharmacy in Wiesloch, Germany.

2013: Liberalization of Mexico's energy laws

Starting in 2013, Mexico initiated a gradual liberalization of its energy laws, which broke the long-standing monopoly of Pemex in the filling station market and allowed international competitors to begin operations.

May 2017: Legislative Approval for Partial Self-Service

In May 2017, the Oregon legislature passed a bill, subsequently signed by the Governor, to allow self-service at filling stations in rural counties with populations of 40,000 or fewer.

January 2018: Implementation of Rural Self-Service

Beginning in January 2018, the law allowing self-service at filling stations in counties with populations of 40,000 or less went into effect in Oregon.

2018: Idemitsu Acquires Showa Shell Sekiyu

In 2018, Idemitsu began the process of acquiring Showa Shell Sekiyu, which led to the subsequent rebranding of Shell stations in Japan.

September 26, 2019: RS Automotive EV Conversion

On September 26, 2019, RS Automotive, located in Takoma Park, Maryland, made history by becoming the first filling station in the United States to complete a full conversion into an electric vehicle charging station.

2019: Rebranding of Esso and Mobil to ENEOS

During 2019, ENEOS Corporation completed the rebranding of all remaining Esso and Mobil branded filling stations in Japan to the ENEOS brand name.

2023: Completion of Shell Rebranding to apollostation

By 2023, all former Shell filling stations in Japan had been fully rebranded to the apollostation brand name following Idemitsu's earlier acquisition.

2023: Statewide Self-Service Legalization

In 2023, Governor Tina Kotek signed a law authorizing self-service at filling stations throughout Oregon, while mandating that stations must still offer full-service options for those who request it.

2025: UPG becomes a top three fuel retailer in Ukraine

At the end of 2025, the UPG gas station network solidified its position as one of the three largest fuel retailers in Ukraine, having expanded to over 500 locations following the lease of former ANP and Avias assets as approved by the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine.

June 2026: Surge in Attacks on Ukrainian Gas Stations

Throughout June 2026, Russian forces initiated a series of attacks on gas stations across Ukraine, with records from NaftoRynok indicating that by the end of the month, the frequency of damage reached an average of 15.5 facilities per week.

July 2026: Increase in Gas Station Attacks

At the beginning of July 2026, the intensity of Russian military attacks on Ukrainian gas stations escalated, resulting in approximately 20 facilities being struck per week.

July 2026: Intensified Attacks on Ukrainian Filling Stations

In July 2026, Russian military forces escalated their campaign against civilian infrastructure by striking numerous retail fuel stations across the Dnipropetrovsk and Chernihiv oblasts of Ukraine to disrupt fuel logistics and supply chains.