Buc-ee’s is getting closer to Wisconsin, but one location is still stuck

Wisconsin is about to find out what all the Buc-ee’s hype is about.

It’s one of the handful of states getting Buc-ee’s for the first time…but let’s talk about exactly when.

The biggest Wisconsin update is in Oak Creek.

Buc-ee’s received final site plan approval for its first Wisconsin travel center in Oak Creek, near I-94 and Elm Road, south of Milwaukee. The planned store is expected to be about 73,000 square feet, with 120 fuel pumps and 24-hour service. The chain is targeting an early 2027 opening. That is not a gas station. That is a roadside event.

For Wisconsin drivers, this means brisket sandwiches, Beaver Nuggets, jerky, fudge, road-trip snacks, giant bathrooms, Buc-ee’s merch, and a parking lot built for crowds.

But the real drama is not just that Buc-ee’s is coming to Wisconsin. It is where Buc-ee’s is coming first.

Oak Creek sits along the busy Milwaukee-to-Chicago corridor, giving the Texas-based chain a high-traffic spot near one of the Midwest’s most important interstate routes. The location could pull in Wisconsin residents, Illinois drivers, summer travelers, commuters, and curious first-timers. Not everyone is on board — a group of neighbors has fought the project, including a lawsuit that was dismissed on a technicality, and opponents have signaled they are not done.

It also puts Buc-ee’s directly into Kwik Trip country.

Wisconsin already has a beloved convenience-store giant of its own. Kwik Trip operates hundreds of stores across the Midwest and has built deep loyalty with fresh food, clean stores, and everyday convenience.

That makes the first Wisconsin Buc-ee’s especially interesting.

Buc-ee’s brings size, spectacle, barbecue, clean bathrooms, and tourist energy. Kwik Trip brings loyalty, local roots, and a daily-use store network Wisconsin drivers already know. The Oak Creek opening is not just another expansion. It is a collision between two roadside cult followings.

The second possible Wisconsin location is more complicated.

DeForest, north of Madison, has also been linked to a Buc-ee’s project near County Highway V and Interstate 90/94/39. But village officials say that project is currently on hold while the community works through funding for public infrastructure improvements at the interchange. Wisconsin’s state budget recently chipped in $4 million, but DeForest still has a multimillion-dollar gap to close before construction can move.

The issue is traffic. A Buc-ee’s does not quietly blend into a highway exit. It brings thousands of cars, major turning movements, fuel customers, food customers, and people who are not just stopping for gas but staying long enough to shop.

That leaves Wisconsin with a simple Buc-ee’s map for now:

Oak Creek is moving forward, with an early 2027 target.

DeForest is still waiting.

For Buc-ee’s fans, the good news is that Wisconsin’s first location appears to be on the way. For Kwik Trip loyalists, the question is whether the Texas beaver can really win over a state that already has a favorite roadside stop.

Either way, Wisconsin’s gas station wars are about to get a lot more interesting.

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