Buc-ee’s takes first formal step toward building second Colorado location
Jun 23, 2026, 4:19 PM
It seems like it depends on the day whether or not Buc-ee’s is still trying to build a second Colorado location in Palmer Lake. Today, they are definitely planning on it…
The Texas-based mega travel center chain has filed a formal request with El Paso County asking officials to determine whether its proposed development near Interstate 25 and County Line Road qualifies as a “convenience store” under existing C-1 commercial zoning — a key first step toward building what would be Colorado’s second Buc-ee’s location, about 50 miles south of Denver.
The request, filed June 18 by Buc-ee’s EPCO LLC, is an administrative determination — essentially a written code interpretation that would establish whether a Buc-ee’s fits within the approved land uses for the 30-acre parcel. County officials stressed this is not an approval to build. “An administrative determination does not approve construction, authorize commercial activity, or approve a site development plan,” El Paso County interim communications director Natalie Sosa told the Denver Post.
If it sounds like you’ve heard this before, you have. Buc-ee’s originally pursued the same site through an annexation process with the town of Palmer Lake, but dropped the effort without explanation after more than a year of hearings and concerted community opposition. Several weeks later, an LLC affiliated with the company purchased the land outright, which remains in unincorporated El Paso County — bypassing Palmer Lake’s jurisdiction entirely.
The submitted plans show a proposed 74,000-square-foot building, 60 multi-product fuel dispensers under two canopies with 120 fueling positions, roughly 20 electric vehicle charging stations and approximately 790 surface parking spaces. For context, calling that a “convenience store” is a bit like calling Red Rocks a “small outdoor venue.” Colorado’s first Buc-ee’s opened in Johnstown in April 2024 and quickly became a destination unto itself, famous for its spotless restrooms, walls of jerky, beaver nuggets and a gas station experience that somehow feels like a theme park.
No timeline has been set for a decision on the zoning determination.
