BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. - Gasoline prices sticking close to the $4 per gallon range have motorists driving near and far looking for the lowest fuel price. For years, drivers could log onto the Internet and find out which local stations had the cheapest gasoline. Now, a slew of mobile applications bring that information right to your phone, USA Today reports.

The apps tap into the mobile device??s GPS system to find nearby stations and post prices, which are gathered from volunteers, gasoline stations or credit-card transactions. More customers who didn??t surf the Web for gasoline prices now use their phones for the same function, said Jason Toews, co-founder of GasBuddy.com, which now has a mobile app.

"The community has exploded with (mobile apps)," said Toews. The GasBuddy app alone has been downloaded 8 million times since 2010. "It just makes sense. You can save 20 cents a gallon without having to drive 10 extra miles. And it really adds up."

Toews said that the apps also can be helpful during road trips. "Often you don't have to go out of your way," he said. "Instead of filling up in town A, you can go 10 miles farther and go to town B to save. Just wait an extra 10 minutes."

Gasoline apps currently available include Fuel Finder ($2.99), which lists stations by cost and distance, and also calculates yearly savings; GasBuddy (free), which lists stations by cost and distance; and MyGasWars (99 cents), which lists stations by cost, but also can sort stations by brand, data age and distance.