The Iowa 80, located right off exit 284 on the I-80 is the world’s largest truck stop, and somewhere that almost every OTR truck driver has been to at least once. But do you know about all the unique services they offer or how it became the world’s largest truck stop? Here’s everything you need to know about the historic truck stop. What is the Iowa 80?The Iowa 80 opened its doors for the first time in 1964, before Interstate 80 had completed construction. Bill Moon, founder of the Iowa 80 saw that the new highway was going to be a major freight corridor and truck drivers were going to need a place to refuel, refresh and relax from the road. The Iowa 80 started out as a small gas station where drivers could get the necessities before heading back out on the road. It wasn’t until the early 1980’s that Bill was able to expand the services and offerings of the Iowa 80 and the rest stop began to resemble what it looks like today. We were able to speak with Heather DeBaillie, Vice President of Marketing with the Iowa 80. She talked to us about the stop’s history and what it has to offer for truck drivers.
What Services Does the Iowa 80 Offer?The Iowa 80 offers everything drivers expect from a traditional truck stop and much more. They have 16 diesel fuel lanes, two dozen private showers, 10 restaurants, and 900 parking spots. It’s all part of their ideology of building bigger so drivers don’t have to wait.
Over the years, the Iowa 80 has continued to grow, thanks to the Moon family investing in the stop. It soon became the largest truck stop in the world, offering drivers luxury services like a movie theatre, barber shop, and on-site chiropractor. Here’s a list of some of the services the Iowa 80 offers:
Does the Iowa 80 Hold Events?Apart from the unique services, the Iowa 80 holds an annual event each summer known as the Walcott Trucker’s Jamboree. The event has taken place every year since 1979 and includes truck exhibits, an antique truck display, super truck beauty contest, trucker Olympics, pet contest, live music, food, and more.
This year’s Walcott Trucker’s Jamboree will be taking place July 14-16th. If you’re a history buff, The Iowa 80 has something for you as well. You can check out the Trucking Museum which features some of the earliest known trucks, petrolinia and vintage gas station collectables, and antique toy trucks. Heather finished with these thoughts,
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