Iowa 80 Truck Stop
One out of every 15 employees in the United States works in the trucking industry. 3.5 million of those jobs are truckers moving freight around the country every second of every day. Scattered across the extensive American interstate system are a wide variety of truck stops that provide rest, fuel, nourishment and entertainment. However, none of these truck stops is quite like Iowa 80: the largest truck stop in the world.
What is the world’s largest truck stop?
The world’s largest truck stop is the Iowa 80 Truckstop. The Iowa 80 Truckstop is located in Walcott, Iowa and is a main hub for many truckers who operate in the United States. Around 5,000 truckers and visitors stop by everyday. Source
Our Experience
For 30 days in August, we road tripped around the US filming the first season of Off the Cuf. So, it made logistical sense to take a pitstop at this iconic American truck stop. But, of course, we had to capture the unique community this place attracts.
An aerial shot of the Iowa 80 sign from the freeway
Where is the world’s largest truck stop?
Located almost directly between the large cities of Chicago and Des Moines, I80 makes for an ideal pitstop for many long-distance drivers. We happened to be conveniently driving exactly that stretch of roadway to Chicago. Source
What can you do at the I80 Truck Stop?
The sheer number of services, activities and offerings at the truck stop is borderline overwhelming. We actually had a difficult time covering everything in one full day. There are eight different restaurants, a fast food court, a 24 hour sit down restaurant, a barber, a movie theater, a chapel, a TV room, 24 private showers, full laundry service, a massive truck carwash, the super truck showroom, a cat scale, a chiropractic office, a dental office, a dogomat, a movie theater and much more. Source
An employee hand washing a truck.
On top of all of that, there is even a dentist and a chiropractor. After practicing in the surrounding area, both the dentist and chiropractor found a need among the traveling truckers so they simply set up shop in the world’s largest truck stop to bring their work to the truckers.
What’s in the I80 Truck Museum?
A must see for some tourists is the I80 Trucking Museum, which displays original trucks across the entire timeline of the trucking industry. This even includes a 1911 fully electric truck.
After speaking with several drivers and learning more about the culture, we were astonished to learn about the CB radio lingo that is used among drivers to prepare other drivers for obstacles and any general communication among those on the road.
There are over 3.5 millions truckers on the roads in the United States.
5,000 daily travelers visit the Iowa 80 Truck Stop.
After 28 expansions, Iowa 80 is the largest truck stop in the world.
Iowa 80 is located near Davenport, Iowa which is approximately halfway between DesMoines and Chicago.
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