Iowa 80 Truck Stop

Have you ever wondered, “Where is the world’s largest truck stop”? If you’re not a trucker, you probably haven’t. But at Rocking O Construction, we have built several truck stops and travel plazas across Oklahoma, so we are very interested in this type of commercial construction and contracting. Anyway, the world’s largest truck stop title is currently claimed by Iowa 80, located on Interstate 80, Exit 284, just outside of Walcott, Iowa. You may not expect Iowa to be the location of such a large and well-built truck stop, but the state is a major crossroads for shipping within the industry.

Iowa 80 was originally opened in 1964, which means that it is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2014. It has been added on to and re-modeled several times over the years by different contractors; it was not all built overnight or at any one time. Iowa 80 is a major destination for both truck drivers and tourists alike, as well as families that just happen to be out on the road and in need of a place to get gas, grab a quick bite to eat, or use the restroom facilities.

Iowa 80 has more than 50,000 items available for sale in the store and serves more than 5,000 patrons each day. This is a lot for a commercial business built in the country alongside a freeway! The truck stop also serves 2 million cups of coffee each year, and an average of 53 tons of beef and 58 tons of pork each year. More than 18 million eggs have been served over the past 5 decades, and the truck stop itself has received more than 64 million visitors to the main building, which is currently almost 100,000 square feet, and may be added on to at some point, if new construction ever takes place at the world’s largest truck stop in the future.

If you’re ever in the Walcott area, a visit to Iowa 80 is a quick and (potentially) inexpensive option that you might as well add to your agenda. The building itself is quite impressive to us, because we work in the commercial construction field and build truck stops on a regular basis along the highways of Oklahoma between Dallas and Tulsa, as well as other places.

Resource Link: http://rockingocructionllc.tumblr.com/post/85805476265/iowa-80-truck-stop