ARCO (Atlantic Richfield Company) can trace its roots back as far as 1866, when it was called Atlantic Petroleum Storage Company. ARCO became a part of Standard Oil for a time, then became private once again, opening its first gas station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1915.
Today, ARCO belongs to BP, one of the largest suppliers of gas and oil in the world. ARCO gas stations and their attached “AM/PM” convenience stores are found only on the West Coast of the US. ARCO gas stations are known as “no frill” service stations with no attendants. Machines accept cash or debit card payments only and those using debit cards are charged an additional .35 cent fee. Despite this, ARCO remains one of the most popular gas stations on the West Coast, most likely due to their lower price on gas overall.
The company once had headquarters located in downtown Los Angeles, but has since moved to La Palma, California. Many of the ARCO signs have also been replaced with a combination of ARCO/BP insignias, but it is unknown if all ARCO signs will eventually be replaced.
