America’s Largest Truckstop Opens In Illinois Next Month

I hate to break it to the state of Iowa, but your days of sitting on top of the mountain by having the world's largest truck stop located in your state are going to be over in a little over one week from today.

Walcott, Iowa has been the home of the world's largest truck stop since 1964 (looks like Illinois is ruining the 60th anniversary party), and according to their website, the Iowa 80 Truckstop has got literally anything and everything that the traveling trucker (or any traveling motorist) could need or want:

Iowa 80 Truckstop features eight restaurant choices, a convenience store, gift store, Super Truck Showroom, barber shop, chiropractor, dentist, movie theater, workout room, laundry facilities, gas islands, diesel fuel center, truck service center, Truckomat truck wash, Dogomat pet wash, CAT Scale, 24- private showers, trucking museum and more!

Wow. A dogwash and a CAT scale...I only know what one of those two things are, to be honest.

The Iowa 80 Truckstop, Being The World's Largest, Has Parking For 900 Trucks

But, the new world's largest truckstop, opening in West Dundee on October 1st, will have parking for over 1,000 trucks in a safe, secured setting, according to the company behind the West Dundee location.

While the Iowa 80 Truckstop can still claim that it's larger by acreage (220 acres to West Dundee's 30-plus acres), it's the parking for 1,000 or more trucks that is making the biggest difference. Amenities are great, but truckers really, really need a place to park, according to a survey by the American Trucking Association (ATA).

FreightRelocators.com:

A report from the American Trucking Association (ATA) reveals that there is only one parking space for every 11 trucks on the road. Many drivers spend up to an hour each day searching for a safe place to park, which reduces their productivity and cuts into their earnings by an estimated 12% annually.

This lack of parking not only affects a driver’s income but also contributes to inefficiency in the trucking industry. Truckers often resort to parking in unsafe or unauthorized areas, which can lead to theft and safety risks. The new West Dundee paid truck parking facility is designed to offer a solution.

Other Than The Extra Truck-Parking Spots, What Makes This New Illinois Truckstop Special?

The company behind the West Dundee project, Outpost, says that their new place is going to be much more that just a parking lot. In addition to leasing parking spaces by the day or by the month, truckers will soon have access to a variety of amenities. By spring of 2025, the facility will offer a large store, fuel pumps, office space, and additional services.

The Iowa 80 Truckstop currently serves, by their count, over 5,000 people per day, and their main truckstop building is over 130,000 square feet.