As Buc-ee’s continues its steady march across the U.S., the chain has set its sights on Oklahoma as its next new state.
Earlier this week, the Oklahoma City Council approved a $25 million rebuild of the Interstate 40 interchange, which sits near a recently proposed Buc-ee’s site in western Oklahoma City, according to a report from local outlet News On 6.
Although the project is not directly tied to Buc-ee’s, it signals that the city is preparing for significantly higher traffic volumes in the coming years. Following the vote, Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt acknowledged that the proposed Buc-ee’s would require substantial investment in the surrounding infrastructure.
In a later X post, Mayor Holt wrote the following: “I can now finally confirm that we are in very active conversations with Buc-ee’s about their first location in Oklahoma City (and the State of Oklahoma), which will be located at Interstate 40 and Cimarron Road in West OKC.
There will be new infrastructure necessary to facilitate this project, and that aspect of the project is made possible by a partnership with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT). Relative to that work, the City Council today approved an agreement with ODOT and the development company associated with Buc-ee’s. Though work lies ahead, we look forward to the opportunity to welcome Buc-ee’s to OKC.”
Construction, according to a statement from ODOT, could begin as soon as 2028.
Oklahoma, Indiana and Beyond
Buc-ee’s rapid expansion is showing no signs of slowing down. In the past two months alone, the retailer has announced plans to enter two new states in addition to Oklahoma — Indiana and Iowa.
Last week, the Greenwood Common Council approved plans for an $85 million Buc-ee’s location, according to local outlet WTHR.
Buc-ee’s initially submitted plans for the travel center to the Greenwood Advisory Plan Commission in June.
The site is planned to stand at 74,000 square feet and feature 120 gas pumps. It would sit on 37 acres of land and include space for electric vehicle (EV) charging. The store would employ up to 200 full-time employees.
The land is located south of Worthsville Road, just east of Interstate 65.
Buc-ee’s representative Scott Ratcliff told WTHR that they chose Greenwood “because it’s a great place to live and work.” He also said Buc-ee’s plans to invest between $13 million and $15 million to improve traffic in the area.
Additionally in August, the chain filed plans for its first store in Iowa, scheduled to be located in Urbandale, according to a report from Chron.
The site is planned to span 74,000 square feet, with local outlet KCCI reporting that Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie is selling a bean field he owns to the retailer to make way for the store.
The Urbandale Buc-ee’s would include more than 20 electric vehicle (EV) chargers and a staff of more than 200 employees. Buc-ee’s wrote in its proposal that this will be its first and “possibly only” location in the state.
For the project to be approved, several commission and council votes will still need to occur in the coming months and potentially years.
