Why Chickasha Is Favored for Oklahoma’s Buc-ee’s

Over the last decade, it feels like we’ve talked the Oklahoma Buc-ee’s question into the ground. And yet, it keeps crawling back. Every few months, a new rumor, a new map, a new “industry expert” shows up with a hot take.

Lately, that take keeps pointing to Chickasha.

At first glance, it feels a little off. Chickasha isn’t a metro suburb. It’s not slammed with traffic like I-35 through Norman or I-40 near El Reno. On paper, it doesn’t scream “massive beaver themed travel empire.”

But then you zoom out.

I-44 between Chickasha and OKC stays pretty busy all day, every day. It’s a major connecting interstate, which is in Buc-ee’s wheelhouse. They don’t need gridlock, they'd need consistency, and Chickasha has something else a lot of places don’t.

Tourism

Every December, a quarter million people roll into town for the Festival of Light. That’s not an exaggeration, that’s traffic, hotel bookings, and minivans full of people looking for snacks and clean bathrooms. Honestly, I’m surprised they haven’t leaned all the way in and renamed the place Christmas, Oklahoma.

That wouldn't be a new model for Buc-ee’s either. Look at Daytona Beach. Around 75,000 residents, quiet most of the year, then suddenly packed for Bike Week, NASCAR, and Spring Break. Buc-ee’s planted a massive flag right next to the speedway and let the tourists do the rest.

Chickasha sits in that same outer ring around the OKC metro as El Reno, Guthrie, Norman, and even Stroud. All of them make sense. But Chickasha checks a few extra boxes.

Of course, ask around Oklahoma and every small town thinks their Mayberry deserves the first Buc-ee’s. Fair enough.

It just looks like, this time, the folks who actually study this stuff keep circling back to Chickasha.

Where Should Buc-ee's Build Their First Oklahoma Location?

With Buc-ee's being back on the expansion bandwagon, Oklahomans are feeling like we're due for our first location... but where should the beaver conglomerate start in the Sooner State?

After compiling information from social media, here's a quick rundown on the locations Okies think would be a perfect fit for 24/7 hot brisket on the board.

Gallery Credit: Kelso

SEE MORE FROM KELSO

7 Oklahoma Towns Among Worst 'Small' Cities In America

A recent study ranked all of the smaller cities in America and 12 hometowns on the list were from here in Oklahoma. The expected nicer communities were comfortably ranked in the middle, but over half were listed as some of the worst in the country.

Gallery Credit: Kelso

Top Mispronounced Towns That Show You're Not From Oklahoma

Just for funs, try to pronounce these town names before hopping to the phonetics...

Gallery Credit: Kelso

SEE MORE FROM KELSO

16 Incredible Places You Have Experience At Least Once In Oklahoma

From mountains to lakes, caves to dunes, here are the most incredible places in Oklahoma you have to visit and experience at least once.

Gallery Credit: Kelso

Tiny Oklahoma Towns With Populations Less Than 15

The list of tiny Oklahoma towns is surprisingly longer than one might expect. By any metric of measurement, a "small town" in Oklahoma is widely considered under 5,000 people, but these tiny towns of 15 or fewer people redefine how we think of small towns.

Gallery Credit: Kelso