Ohio’s first Buc-ee’s is officially open — and a second location just took a major step closer to reality.
The Texas-based travel center chain opened its first Ohio store in Huber Heights, just outside Dayton, on April 6, 2026. The store is located at 8000 State Route 235, near the busy I-70 and State Route 235 interchange.
For Buc-ee’s fans, the Huber Heights opening was a major moment. The chain has built a cult following for its massive stores, clean restrooms, brisket sandwiches, Beaver Nuggets, jerky, fudge, branded merchandise, and road-trip atmosphere. The Ohio location gives drivers in the Dayton region — and travelers crossing the state on I-70 — a new destination-style stop.
The Huber Heights store had been expected by the end of 2025, but the project was pushed into 2026 after delays. Construction broke ground on August 8, 2024, but stalled in November 2024 during a legal battle between Huber Heights and Clark County over which jurisdiction would provide water and sewer service to the property, according to News Center 7. The lawsuit was dismissed on December 9, 2024, and construction restarted. The 74,000-square-foot store features more than 100 gas pumps — Destination Dayton lists 108 fuel pumps — along with 24 electric vehicle charging stations and roughly 200 jobs, according to Buc-ee’s and the regional tourism authority.
Now the next big question is whether Mansfield will become Ohio’s second Buc-ee’s market.
Mansfield City Council voted unanimously on May 19 to approve annexation and B-2 general business zoning tied to a proposed Buc-ee’s Travel Center near the I-71 and Ohio 39 interchange, according to Richland Source. The project involves about 110.5 acres, with the actual travel center occupying roughly 35 acres of that footprint. The vote followed earlier approvals from Madison and Mifflin township trustees and the Richland County Board of Commissioners, and is being viewed as a major step toward bringing the chain to north-central Ohio.
The proposed Mansfield location would be especially strategic. I-71 is one of Ohio’s most important north-south travel corridors, connecting drivers between Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati. A Buc-ee’s near Mansfield would give the chain a second Ohio foothold, this time positioned for road-trippers moving through the center of the state rather than east-west traffic near Dayton.
It would also be Buc-ee’s northernmost location among the chain’s more than 60 stores, Buc-ee’s founder Arch “Beaver” Aplin III told Richland Source. Aplin said the undeveloped I-71/Ohio 39 interchange is exactly the kind of place he likes to build. “I actually love places where there’s not a lot of development. It kind of lets us be a beacon on the highway, if you will,” Aplin said. “Sometimes we end up where there is a lot of development, but I never shy away from a location that doesn’t have a lot of development, either. And then development usually, if history repeats itself, it will come once we get there.”
Local officials have described the project as an economic development opportunity, with the potential to bring more than 200 jobs and spur additional growth around the interchange. Richland Source reported that Mansfield Mayor Jodie Perry said the project’s numbers “sound a lot more like a manufacturer than a retail store.”
But the Mansfield store is not open yet, and it is not a done deal in the same way Huber Heights is. Two key votes remain: the Mansfield Planning Commission is scheduled to vote May 26 on Buc-ee’s request for a conditional use permit, required because of the underground fuel tanks planned for the 35-acre site, according to Richland Source. City Council is then scheduled to vote June 2 on the development plan negotiated between the city and Buc-ee’s, which will help finance the road and infrastructure improvements around the interchange.
For Ohio drivers, the current Buc-ee’s map is simple:
Open now: Huber Heights, near Dayton, off I-70 and State Route 235. Moving through approvals: Mansfield, near I-71 and Ohio 39.
That expansion pattern says a lot about Buc-ee’s strategy. The company is not targeting quiet neighborhood corners. It is choosing major highway interchanges where it can pull in long-distance travelers, families, commuters, and curious first-time visitors.
It also shows why Ohio is becoming a major battleground for supersized travel centers and convenience chains. The state sits at the center of major interstate traffic, and brands are competing for drivers who want more than a quick gas stop.
For now, Ohio has one Buc-ee’s. But if the Mansfield project keeps moving forward, the Buckeye State could soon have a second beaver-branded travel center — and this one would be positioned to serve a completely different part of the state.
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