7 of the Coolest Things You’ll Find at the World’s Largest Truck Stop
Dentists, movie theaters, massage chairs and more — here’s everything you’ll see at Iowa-80
Once upon a time, Walcott, Iowa was home to a family-owned truck stop that consisted of one pump and a small convenience store. Over time, the truck stop grew and grew to take up more than 75 acres (or 57 American football fields) and service the thousands of hard-working truck drivers who travel across the United States every year.
In our travels living full time in a van, we’ve had the opportunity to visit a lot of roadside attractions, including the world’s largest Buc-ee’s and the world’s largest drug store.
When we heard about the Iowa-80 truck stop, which is now known as the world’s largest truck stop, we knew we had to stop by. We went to see just how it stacks up against these other crazy roadside attractions – and let’s just say, we had a great time!
So, here are 7 of the most interesting things you can find at the world’s largest truck stop:
1. A Dentist and a Chiropractor
Iowa-80 not only has a food court, convenience store and retail store, but it also has what is referred to as the ‘Trucker’s Loft”.
It has everything that full-time truckers might need to survive life on the road. There are showers, a full laundromat, massage chairs, a church, a barber shop, a dentist and a chiropractor.
For $14, you can have access to a private hot shower where you can enjoy warm water for as long as you want. We were told that the chiropractor usually has a line out the door, and if you’ve ever been cooped up in a car for a long road trip, that definitely makes sense.
2. 1 Million Gallons of Diesel
Standing right in front of the Iowa-80 truck stop is a giant blue diesel tank welcoming people in.
The tank holds an astounding 1 million gallons of diesel, which may seem insane until you think about how much gasoline the typical semi truck holds.
Each semi truck has 2 diesel tanks that hold about 250 gallons each; and with 5,000 daily visitors to the truck stop each day, Iowa-80 uses a LOT of diesel.
3. A Pet Washing Station
One thing we learned about truckers at the stop is that many of them have furry friends.
Many of these drivers spend weeks on the road at a time, so they like to travel with their pets to keep them company.
With that, Iowa-80 provides truckers with an easy place to give their furry companions a bath after a long week on the road!
4. The Largest Trucking Museum in the World
What started out as a passion project to teach people about the history of the trucking industry soon turned into the world’s largest trucking museum.
The museum holds over 100 old trucks as well as exhibits dedicated to things like the history of women in trucking (fun fact: only 10% of truckers are women).
It’s very interesting to visit these museums and see the dedication so many people have to the industry.
5. Home Cooked Meals
In addition to the food court and convenience store, Iowa-80 also has a restaurant called Iowa-80 Kitchen that sells delicious meals.
After all, there’s nothing better than a home-cooked meal after a long trip. On the menu, you’ll find fried cheese curds made with local cheese, tender meatloaf with mashed potatoes, and flavorful pork chops.
You also cannot go wrong with the Iowa-80 desserts like fudgy brookies, giant s'mores cookies, and decadent mocha fudge.
6. Customized Trucker Merch
The mother of the family that started Iowa-80 was apparently very crafty and loved to embroider and sew.
It was her passion that inspired a booth at the truck stop where truckers can embroider their truck on hats, shirts, bags, and more. Many truckers are very proud of their trucks and love any opportunity they can take to show them off.
Nearby this merch booth are plenty of other items you can buy and customize, from mattresses to exhaust pipes and multi-colored lights.
7. Thousands of Full-Time Truckers
With over 5,000 daily customers and parking for more than 900 semi trucks, you’re going to meet a lot of truck drivers if you stop by Iowa-80.
We had the opportunity to talk to a couple of these drivers and learn about their unconventional lifestyles. Some truckers we met worked for 5-6 days before returning home, while others would travel for weeks or months without going home. They can drive for up to 11 hours a day before stopping for the night and sleeping on the bed inside their truck…if they have one.
For some, trucking is an important part of their family tradition – their grandmothers, moms, dads and uncles have all been truck drivers and they have proudly continued the family tradition as well.
As full-time van lifers, we have been to hundreds of different rest stops and convenience stores, but it was still such an adventure to be able to experience the hype behind the world’s largest truck stop. To see a full tour of the Iowa-80 stop, check out the video below!
Hi! We're Kara and Nate. High school sweethearts from Nashville, TN whose shared love of travel has led us on the adventure of a lifetime. In 2016 we quit our jobs to spend one year traveling around the world. Seven years later, we still haven't stopped! We quickly fell in love with life on the road and capturing our travels on video. We've visited over 100 countries, and have been fortunate enough to build an awesome community of subscribers on our YouTube channel and newsletter Daily Drop. We're so grateful to do what we love everyday and we hope our story and our content might inspire you to travel somewhere new!
