World's Largest Truck Stop; Walcott, IA
When the original Iowa 80 truck stop opened for business in 1965 it had just one small store, an oil change and a restaurant. Now, the truck stop located off exit 284 on Interstate 80 in Walcott, Iowa boasts a 300-seat restaurant with a 50-ft. salad bar, a movie theater, a laundromat, a barber, a dentist, a game room, an embroidery center, a drivers' den (complete with a fireplace and private showers), the Truckomat truck wash and a slew of fast-food franchises. It serves more than 2 million cups of coffee each year and an average of 53 tons of beef. The truck stop employs some 450 people and can park up to 800 trucks. It is also home to a trucking museum and hosts an annual trucker appreciation event with a pork chop cook-out, beauty contest and live entertainment. In its 45 years, the truck stop has served 64 million customers.