Ocala and Marion County fans of Buc-ee’s who had hoped to try the gas station chain’s famous foods and amenities soon will have to wait at least two years for the company to open its new location.
Over the weekend, USA Today reported that the company has announced opening dates for 17 new locations. The tentative opening dates run from 2026 through 2031.
Among the stores cited is the new location in Ocala, which should tentatively open in 2028. Next year, three Buc-ee’s locations will open in Ohio, Arizona, and Texas.
Earlier this year, the developer behind the project in Ocala asked the county to waive a topographical survey requirement for the project, saying no changes had occurred at the site since the previous survey in September 2024.
First approved in early 2023, the Buc-ee’s Ocala Travel Center will be situated on a 33-acre parcel that is located along NW 35th Street Road, about 1.75 miles south of W Highway 326.
Shortly after it was approved by the county, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis awarded millions of dollars in state funds to the project and its associated highway improvements.
Earlier this year, officials broke ground at the NW 49th Street Interchange where the future facility is being constructed. That ceremony also celebrated the beginning of construction of new auxiliary lanes along Interstate 75.
The new interchange and auxiliary lanes should all open around the same time that Buc-ee’s opens its new location, according to state estimates.
Founded by Arch “Beaver” Aplin III in 1982 in Lake Jackson, Texas, The first Buc-ee’s was around 3,000-square-feet in size. When it is complete, the new Buc-ee’s in Ocala will feature approximately 80,000 square feet of retail space.
The facility will also feature three fuel canopies to cover approximately 120 fueling stations, 28 electric vehicle charging stations, eight diesel exhaust fluid positions, and 750 parking spaces, including 21 that are handicap-accessible and 11 recreational vehicle/bus parking spaces.
As of this month, there are approximately 54 Buc-ee’s locations in operation across the United States, with the company planning to build nearly three dozen more locations domestically. In Florida, there are two Buc-ee’s in operation in Daytona Beach and Saint Augustine.
The interchange and new Buc-ee’s will be situated near new, equestrian-themed gateway signage that was unveiled at the beginning of this year, as well as county markers that were unveiled last year, a new rest area under construction, and several improvements made to the highway in recent months.
The construction of the new diverging diamond interchange at the northwest Ocala site will cost nearly $100 million, according to a project summary maintained by the Florida Department of Transportation.
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