This Beloved Gas Station Chain In The South Is One Of The Best Stops During Road Trips
With almost 70 locations scattered throughout the South, Buc-ee's has become a fascinating and well-loved road trip stop for many. If you somehow haven't heard of the South's most versatile gas station, Buc-ee's is a 24/7 mega convenience store chain with an adorable and inescapable beaver mascot. You can find the cartoon beaver named Bucky on practically everything in the store. Buc'ee's isn't your average gas station; in fact, it seems to have evolved into something adjacent to a theme park, with travelers all over the world driving in to get a picture with Bucky.
The sheer enormity of Buc-ee's football field-sized stores allows for a baffling array of products in the store. The Luling, Texas Buc-ee's location even holds the world record for being the World's Largest Convenience StoreC at 75,593 square feet. As they say, everything is bigger in Texas, and Buc-ee's is no exception. Instead of running in to quickly grab a bag of chips, you'll want to spend at least an hour wandering and exploring what Buc-ee's has to offer. The chain lives up to its classification as a "convenience store" by conveniently selling anything you could possibly want. Seriously, anything.
What you can find at Buc-ee's
Buc-ee's travel centers have a variety of specialized food counters, with options like Texas-style barbecue, tacos, burritos, breakfast foods, and baked goods. Most counters make the food fresh in the store, so you can get a hot meal on the go. Not only does Buc-ee's make their food in house, but the majority of the snacks they hold are Buc-ee's brand. You can try several flavors of roasted peanuts, sweet and sour candy, and the notorious Buc-ee's Beaver Nuggets.
To the shock of many, Buc-ee's even sells household items. With wholesome wall-decor, backyard grills, and charcuterie boards, this gas station could furnish a new house. If you're lucky you'll get a chance to meet the beaver himself, Bucky. Be sure to grab a photo and give him a high five before you head out. This is probably the only gas station you would want a souvenir from, and luckily Buc-ee's carries an endless supply of themed hats, keychains, shirts, cups, plushies, pajamas, baby clothes, shoes, dog toys, and much more.
The real star of the Buc-ee's show however is their ridiculously clean bathrooms, which is an unexpected delight for folks who have been driving many hours on a road trip. Visitors rave about the squeaky-clean bathrooms, with one reviewer on Tripadvisor saying "The restrooms deserve a special shoutout — they are spotless and spacious, living up to their reputation as the cleanest bathrooms on the road," about the Florence, South Carolina Buc-ee's location.
Buc-ee's history and where you can find stores
Buc-ee's was founded in 1982 by Arch "Beaver" Alpin III in Lake Jackson, Texas. The store started as your everyday convenience store, later growing to the fantastical gas station it exists as today. The brand took on a life of itself, oozing Southern charm and enthusiasm for their family-friendly beaver mascot. Most of the gas stations sport around 100 gas pumps, with some locations hosting electric vehicle chargers. While Buc-ee's is friendly to passenger cars, it's important to note that they cannot accommodate commercial trucks like 18-wheelers or semi-trucks.
As of 2025, Buc-ee's spans 11 U.S. states. Most stores are located in Texas, but they can also be found in South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, and Virginia, with plans to expand to more in the coming few years. Be sure to plan your next road trip around a Buc-ee's stop along the way to understand why everyone loves this Southern beaver so much.