Virginia’s most active next Buc-ee’s project is now in Stafford County. The project has cleared its most important local vote, although the differing timelines behind Virginia’s three Buc-ee’s locations mean an opening is still several years away.
The Stafford County Board of Supervisors approved the rezoning and conditional-use permit May 19, 2026, following a lengthy public hearing that continued into the early hours of May 20.
Supervisors voted 5-2 to approve the project despite considerable opposition from nearby residents concerned about traffic, water use and the scale of the development.
Where will the Stafford Buc-ee’s be?
The travel center is planned for approximately 35 to 38 acres along Austin Ridge Drive near Courthouse Road and Interstate 95’s Exit 140. (Stafford County’s own project page lists the core rezoned parcel at 34.976 acres, while some local outlets have cited approximately 38 acres for the overall site.)
Plans call for a 74,000-square-foot store with 120 fueling positions and more than 700 parking spaces. The development is expected to create approximately 200 jobs and generate an estimated $1.9 million in annual local tax revenue.
Its location would make Stafford the first Buc-ee’s serving Northern Virginia and the Washington, D.C., region. It could also attract Maryland travelers, Fredericksburg-area residents and vacation traffic heading south on I-95.
Local approval does not mean construction can begin
The May vote was a major milestone, but Buc-ee’s still faces extensive transportation reviews.
Because the site is close to I-95, the project must proceed through state and federal evaluations of the surrounding roads and interchange. Stafford officials have said the federal traffic-review process alone could require 18 to 24 months.
The project is expected to produce more than 20,000 vehicle trips on a busy day, making traffic capacity the central issue.
Board Chairman Deuntay Diggs has estimated that the store could still be three to four years from opening. That suggests a possible 2029 or 2030 arrival, although Buc-ee’s has not announced an official date.
What happened to the New Kent location?
Buc-ee’s previously appeared likely to open Virginia’s next store in New Kent County along Interstate 64 at Exit 211.
That project has now been pushed to December 2031. Its schedule is tied partly to major improvements planned for the interchange and the surrounding section of I-64.
Virginia currently has one open Buc-ee’s in Mount Crawford near Harrisonburg. That 74,000-square-foot travel center opened in June 2025 beside I-81.
The latest update is therefore slightly complicated: New Kent was announced earlier, but Stafford is now the more active project and could open first. The local approval is complete, but traffic studies and highway improvements will determine when Northern Virginia finally gets its Buc-ee’s.
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