Will Illinois Ever Get A Buc-ee’s Location?

The place is an entire experience.

If you've seen social media at all in the last several months, you've probably seen people rave about Texas-based convenience store Buc-ee's. I can confirm the accolades are merited. It's not just a convenience store, but it has a bunch of good snacks, clean bathrooms, and shopping.

It's as expansive as a Walmart with insanely good brisket and their beloved 'Beaver Nugget' snacks.

So will the beloved chain ever open a store in Illinois?

They have a few in Missouri and will open one next year in Ohio, so they don't mind the Midwest.

According to Peoria-Journal Star, their shortlist of stores they'll open in the next couple of years includes Texas (of course), Kentucky, Arkansas, Georgia, Virginia, Arizona, North Carolina, Florida, and Mississippi.

Buc-ee's In Illinois?

One new Buc-ee's location set to open in 2027 is in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. Which, as Axios points out, is less than 80 miles away from Chicago. It's about a 3-hour drive to Oak Creek from Moline.

The store in Wisconsin will be off of I-94 and about 75,000 square feet in size. And no, it's not likely a Buc-ee's could just pop up in Illinois suddenly. It takes a lot of time and planning for these to open, as is the case in Wisconsin.

Mt. Vernon, Illinois said they were breaking ground last year for a Buc-ee's location, but that doesn't seem to have come to fruition yet.

For now, as for Buc-ee's shortlist for stores to open in the next couple of years, Illinois isn't on it. If you want the brisket, jerky, or Buc-ee's snacks, your best bet is to stop at one on summer road trips south.