Travel-center chains continue to expand along major interstate corridors in the Southeast, where highway traffic and large-format fuel stops remain a major part of regional growth. In South Carolina, Buc-ee’s currently has one open location in Florence, while two additional projects in Hardeeville and Anderson are still in the pipeline.
Buc-ee’s has 1 confirmed South Carolina store and 2 projects in development
Buc-ee’s official location list shows one operating South Carolina store in Florence at 3390 North Williston Road. The company opened that 53,000-square-foot travel center with 120 fueling positions on May 16, 2022, according to the company’s published location information and reporting from the ribbon-cutting attended by Gov. Henry McMaster. That opening gave South Carolina its first active Buc-ee’s location.
The Florence site sits off Interstate 95 at Exit 170, placing it on one of the heaviest-traveled north-south routes on the East Coast. The location serves not only Pee Dee residents but also drivers moving between Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, and the Northeast. Its position helps explain why Buc-ee’s chose Florence for its first South Carolina entry.
At the opening, Buc-ee’s founder Arch “Beaver” Aplin said the company received about 6,000 applications for 300 jobs at the Florence store, according to the cited source material. The same reporting said starting pay began at $18 an hour and management pay approached $30 an hour. Those figures offered an early indication of the scale Buc-ee’s expected from a South Carolina operation.
What is confirmed in Hardeeville and Anderson, and what remains unresolved
Buc-ee’s official estimated opening list includes Hardeeville, South Carolina, with a projected 2031 opening. Source material says the planned Hardeeville store would total 74,000 square feet on a 46.2-acre site at Exit 8 on I-95, within the Hardee Station development near U.S. Highway 278 and Highway 17. Buc-ee’s Director of Real Estate Stan Beard told Hardeeville City Council the site “by far, requires a 74,000-square-foot store.”
The Hardeeville project is expected to create about 200 jobs, according to the source material. Its location near the Georgia line places it close to Savannah-bound traffic, Hilton Head travel, and Lowcountry growth corridors. If built as described, it would give Buc-ee’s a second South Carolina foothold on I-95, complementing the Florence store farther north.
Anderson is less certain. Source material says Buc-ee’s has owned more than 30 acres at Exit 21 on I-85 in Anderson County since before 2022 and has planned another 74,000-square-foot store there. But the company has not announced a firm opening date for Anderson, and public reporting indicates the project remains stalled while interchange funding is sorted out.
Road infrastructure and traffic demands are shaping Buc-ee’s South Carolina timeline
The long timeline in Hardeeville is tied to transportation work rather than a publicly stated retreat by the company. Source material attributes the 2031 estimate in part to the South Carolina Department of Transportation’s I-95 Widening and Exit 8 Redevelopment Project, which is targeted for completion in 2028. Large travel-center developments typically depend on road access, turning capacity, and interchange upgrades before construction can proceed.
In Anderson County, infrastructure needs appear to be the central obstacle. According to the source material, the I-85 and Liberty Highway interchange needs an estimated $60 million to $70 million in improvements before Buc-ee’s can move forward. Engineers have recommended a diverging diamond interchange to handle roughly 22,000 vehicles already using that exit each day.
As of mid-2025, about $6 million had been committed for the Anderson effort, including $1 million from Buc-ee’s and $5 million in federal funding secured by Sen. Lindsey Graham, according to the source material. Anderson County Administrator Rusty Burns said Buc-ee’s is still committed to the site, but county funding remains the issue. For South Carolina drivers, that means Florence is the only confirmed Buc-ee’s open today, Hardeeville is listed for 2031, and Anderson remains dependent on interchange financing.