I-94 & W. ELM ROAD · OAK CREEK, WI
Buc-ee’s Oak Creek is officially under construction
Wisconsin’s first Buc-ee’s broke ground this summer on I-94 south of Milwaukee — and once it opens, it’ll also be the closest Buc-ee’s to Chicago by a few hundred miles. Here’s where it stands, what it’ll look like, and when it’s expected to open.
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01 Where Is Buc-ee’s Oak Creek?
The future travel center is being built at the southwest corner of Interstate 94 and West Elm Road in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, near South 27th Street — on what was farmland until construction crews moved in this summer.
Oak Creek sits on the shore of Lake Michigan about 13 miles south of downtown Milwaukee, and this site puts the store directly on I-94, the interstate that runs the entire stretch between Milwaukee and Chicago. Buc-ee’s bought the roughly 28-acre property for about $7.5 million to build it.
Pro Tip: There’s no assigned street address yet since the site is still under construction — for now, “I-94 and West Elm Road, Oak Creek, WI” is the most reliable way to describe it. Bookmark this page or the store’s eventual Buc-ee’s.com listing for the finalized address once it’s assigned.
02 Construction Status: Where Things Stand
This project has been years in the making. Here’s the timeline so far, and what’s still ahead:
Early 2028 — Target opening City officials pushed the original “early 2027” target back to early 2028 after a nearby sewer project delayed the schedule — though they’ve noted construction could speed up from here.
Jan–May 2025 — Rezoning & approvals The Oak Creek Plan Commission and Common Council approved rezoning the site from agricultural/business park use to retail, and granted a conditional use permit for the fueling plaza and store.
Mid–Late 2025 — Delays and a legal challenge Final site plan approvals slipped past their original summer 2025 timeline, and the rezoning faced a legal challenge from local opponents. The project ultimately moved forward.
July 2026 — Site work begins Crews installed a driveway entrance, perimeter fencing, and staged heavy equipment on site to begin groundwork and utility installation.
August 2026 — Groundwork ramps up The city says site activity is picking up this month, with vertical construction (the building itself) expected to start before the end of 2026.
Pro Tip: Opening-date targets for Buc-ee’s projects routinely shift by months in either direction once vertical construction starts. Treat “early 2028” as the current best estimate, not a locked date — this page will get updated as the city and Buc-ee’s release firmer timelines.
03 Wait — Is This Really Wisconsin’s First Buc-ee’s?
Technically, Oak Creek isn’t the first Wisconsin Buc-ee’s to be announced — that honor goes to a proposed store in DeForest, just north of Madison, first announced back in March 2023. But that project has been stuck for years over a dispute about who pays for the infrastructure needed to serve it, and as of mid-2026 it still has no construction start date.
Oak Creek, announced almost two years later in January 2025, has already cleared its approvals and broken ground. Unless DeForest’s funding issues resolve unexpectedly fast, Oak Creek is on track to become Wisconsin’s first completed Buc-ee’s — even though it wasn’t first in line.
Pro Tip: If you’re specifically waiting on the DeForest location near Madison, don’t expect it to beat Oak Creek to opening day. Follow local Dane County coverage for DeForest updates — the project isn’t dead, just significantly behind.
04 The Closest Buc-ee’s to Chicago — Before and After
This is the detail that’s gotten as much attention as the “Wisconsin’s first” headline: Oak Creek sits less than 80 miles north of Chicago on I-94, well within day-trip range of the entire metro area.
Buc-ee’s itself has leaned into this — the company has run billboard ads near Chicago featuring nothing but a black background, its beaver mascot, and a mileage countdown to the nearest store. Once Oak Creek opens, that number drops by roughly 80%.
For context, Illinois still isn’t on Buc-ee’s public list of upcoming states, so for the foreseeable future, Oak Creek is the answer to “where’s the nearest Buc-ee’s to Chicago” for millions of Chicagoland residents.
Pro Tip: From downtown Chicago, Oak Creek is roughly a 90-minute to two-hour drive up I-94 outside of rush hour — genuinely doable as a day trip, especially paired with a stop in Milwaukee.
05 Store Specs at a Glance
At 73,370 square feet, Oak Creek will be one of the larger Buc-ee’s built to date, and it’s expected to be the chain’s northernmost location.
A city project coordinator reportedly described the plans to local officials as “the Disneyland of gas stations” during an early planning meeting — a fitting description for a store this size.
06 What’s Nearby
- Milwaukee — downtown is about 13 miles north via I-94, putting the store within easy reach of the entire metro area.
- Lake Michigan — Oak Creek sits directly on the lakeshore, a few miles east of the site.
- Chicago & Chicagoland — roughly 80 miles south via I-94, making this the first Buc-ee’s genuinely close to the Chicago metro.
- Racine & Kenosha — both sit between Oak Creek and the Illinois state line along the same I-94 corridor.
Pro Tip: Once open, expect this to become a popular stop for Milwaukee–Chicago road trippers on I-94 who previously had no reason to get off the highway between the two cities. Plan for it to add real congestion to that stretch during peak travel times.
06 Frequently Asked Questions
The Bottom Line
Buc-ee’s Oak Creek is officially under construction on I-94 south of Milwaukee, with a current target opening of early 2028. It’s on track to be Wisconsin’s first completed Buc-ee’s, edging out the long-delayed DeForest project — and once its doors open, it’ll also instantly become the closest Buc-ee’s to Chicago, cutting the drive from roughly 400 miles to about 80.
There’s no exact opening date yet, so the best move for now is bookmarking this page and checking back as vertical construction progresses through late 2026 and into 2027.