Highlights

• Ruston’s Buc-ee’s will be Louisiana’s first location, opening in April 2027 with 120 gas pumps and 74,000 square feet
• Lafayette’s I-10 location faces construction delays, with opening now pushed to 2028 instead of the original 2026 target
• Both Louisiana locations will create hundreds of jobs with starting wages between $17-$18 per hour
• Buc-ee’s is building 74,000-square-foot travel centers across multiple states with construction timelines of 18-24 months
• The chain plans locations in Oak Creek, Wisconsin; Mebane, North Carolina; and several other states through 2027 and beyond

Where New Buc-ee’s Locations Are Opening in 2026, 2027, and Beyond

Louisiana will get two locations over the next few years as the Texas chain expands nationwide

LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL News) — The iconic beaver mascot is coming to Louisiana interstates as Buc-ee’s builds two locations in the state and dozens more across the country, with some construction projects extending into 2028.

The Texas-based travel center chain broke ground on multiple locations in October 2024, including Murfreesboro, Tennessee; Kansas City, Kansas; and Ruston, Louisiana. According to reporting from Nexstar affiliates, these facilities take 18 to 24 months to build once work begins, so most won’t open until 2027.

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What Louisiana Travelers Need to Know About Ruston and Lafayette Locations

Louisiana’s first Buc-ee’s will open in Ruston in April 2027 after years of planning and construction delays. The 74,000-square-foot facility off Interstate 20 near the Tarbutton Road exit will have 120 gas pumps and create more than 200 full-time jobs with starting wages at $18 per hour.

Governor Jeff Landry attended the October 2024 groundbreaking ceremony alongside Buc-ee’s founder Arch “Beaver” Aplin III. The facility is expected to draw up to 15,000 vehicles daily.

Lafayette’s location has faced delays. Originally scheduled to open in 2026, construction at the I-10 site near Louisiana Avenue has had multiple setbacks. According to The Advocate, Triton Construction temporarily paused work in summer 2025 due to design delays and poor weather conditions. The opening timeline has been pushed to 2028.

The Lafayette travel center will span 74,000 square feet with 120 gas pumps and create at least 150 jobs with $17 per hour starting wages. The $82 million project includes $12.5 million in public infrastructure improvements.

Where Other Buc-ee’s Locations Are Opening in 2026 and 2027

Several locations could open before Louisiana sees its first Buc-ee’s. Ohio’s first location in Huber Heights is expected to open in April 2026, though later than originally planned. Arizona’s first Buc-ee’s in Goodyear will open in June 2026, followed by a San Marcos, Texas location in July 2026.

The city of Murfreesboro, Tennessee confirmed its store—the fourth in Tennessee—would open in 2026, according to a Buc-ee’s spokesperson.

April 2027 will see multiple openings. The Oak Creek, Wisconsin location—which would be the chain’s northernmost store—is scheduled to open alongside Louisiana’s Ruston facility. A Mebane, North Carolina location is slated for May 2027, though that date could change.

Additional 2027 openings potentially include Gallaway, Tennessee; Kansas City, Kansas; and St. Lucie, Florida. Construction delays pushed back a Buc-ee’s in Oak Grove, Kentucky, meaning that site may not be complete until 2027.

Timeline and Planning Considerations for Future Locations

Buc-ee’s representatives told Nexstar the company is “excited about our expansion plans and look forward to sharing more details as they become available.” The chain builds weather delays and design modifications into its construction schedules, though some communities have waited longer than expected.

The Lafayette and Ocala, Florida locations aren’t expected to open until 2028. Communities awaiting Buc-ee’s locations include West Memphis, Arkansas—expected to be the third-largest Buc-ee’s ever—and Hardeeville, South Carolina.

Not every community wants Buc-ee’s. Palmer Lake, Colorado has held heated meetings about a proposed location, which led to multiple official resignations and concerns from the governor about impacts on conservation corridors. Decisions on proposed locations in Stafford, Virginia and New Kent County, Virginia have been delayed, with the New Kent location now pushed to 2031.

Buc-ee’s Expansion Has Taken Decades

The first Buc-ee’s store opened in 1982, but the chain’s first true travel center didn’t arrive until 2003. That location in Luling, outside San Antonio, was damaged in a fire but has since been replaced. The travel centers stock everything from fuel and snacks to Buc-ee’s merchandise, kitchen items, and hunting gear.

Since opening its first store outside Texas in 2019, Buc-ee’s now operates locations in nine states with plans for 22 additional stores across 15 states. The company’s 69th store opened in Mount Crawford, Virginia in June 2025, marking the first location outside the southern United States.

Louisiana has waited years for its first locations. Buc-ee’s founder Arch Aplin III spent summers working at his grandfather’s general store in Harrisonburg, Louisiana. “This is where my roots are from,” Aplin said at the Ruston groundbreaking. “So we’re super excited about it.”

For Lafayette, Mayor-President Monique Boulet said Buc-ee’s will “position Lafayette as a key destination for travelers” and bring hundreds of jobs to Acadiana. The I-10 location will serve Houston travelers heading east and those traveling between Texas and Florida.