Buc-ee’s Is Now Expanding to 8 States, Is Minnesota One of Them?

Minnesota might be the Land of 10,000 Lakes, but right now, we're the land of zero Buc-ee's locations. But is that soon set to change?

If you're not familiar, Buc-ee's is the big chain of even bigger convenience stores that are hugely popular throughout much of the southern part of the country. They're known for their huge locations, which typically feature 100 gas pumps and fueling stations. For comparison, most typical convenience stores only have between 8 and 16 gas pumps.

The Phenomenon of Buc-ee’s: World Records and 100 Gas Pumps

According to Texas Monthly, Buc-ee's was founded in 1982 in Lake Jackson, Texas, when its founders, Arch Aplin III and Don Wasek, opened a 3,000-square-foot store.  Now, of course, Buc-ee's is much larger.

From its home base in Texas, the Buc-ee's chain currently operates 69 locations nationwide with stores in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Missouri, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, and Colorado, according to its website.

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Buc-ee's is also the home of two world records. It holds the record for the world’s largest convenience store, which is located in Luling, Texas. That store comes in at a whopping 75,593 square feet, roughly 30 times larger than the average convenience store! Buc-ee's also holds the record for the World’s Longest Car Wash, which is located at its facilities in Katy, Texas.

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Buc-ee’s 2026 Expansion: Which 8 States Are Getting New Stores?

And now there's news that Buc-ee's is expanding its empire into 8 new states in 2026. So will this be the year that the Gopher State sees its first Buc-ee's location? Well, don't hold your breath just yet.

According to Yahoo Finance, while Buc-ee's is, indeed, adding new states to its locations list, the North Star State isn't one of them. Here are the states where Buc-ee's is set to open new stores this year:

• Arizona
• Arkansas
• Kansas
• Louisiana
• Nebraska
• North Carolina
• Ohio
• Wisconsin

Will Minnesota Ever Get a Buc-ee’s? Future Expansion Plans

While this Fox 9 story says that retail analysts generally expect Buc-ee’s to keep expanding regionally from its new Midwest locations. So if its new store in Wisconsin performs well, states like Minnesota or Illinois *could* be the logical place for more expansion down the road. However, nothing has been officially announced yet.

So right now, Minnesota, if you want to experience Buc-ee's, your closest chance will likely be its new location under construction in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, south of Milwaukee. That's roughly a 4-hour drive from Rochester and a 5–6 hour drive from the Twin Cities. Buckle up!