We spent a day at Iowa 80: The World's Largest Truck Stop. Here's what we discovered:

Traveling on Interstate 80 can be an exercise in endurance.

The country's second-longest interstate stretches slightly over 2,900 miles from San Francisco to Teaneck, New Jersey. In Iowa, it runs 303 miles — from the Quad Cities to Council Bluffs.

In the midst of the mile upon mile of rural Iowa farmland lies a billboard announcing the exit for a roadside rarity: 220 acres and a 130,000-square-foot building near Walcott that is home to the self-proclaimed "world's largest truck stop."

Less than 45 minutes from Iowa City and half an hour from the Iowa 80, the World's Largest Truck Stop offers a little bit of everything: Six fast-food chain restaurants, a full kitchen and buffet, a movie theater, a chiropractor, a worship space and a museum.

There's so much that unless you are one of America's 3.5 million truck drivers hunkering down for the night, you probably won't have time to explore all of Iowa 80's amenities.

Curious how to enjoy an entertaining day at the world's largest truck stop? The Iowa City Press-Citizen recently spent a full afternoon in Walcott, exploring one of Iowa's most unique wonders. Here's what we uncovered:

'World's largest truck stop' has modest start

In 1964, Standard Oil opened the Walcott truck stop as construction of Iowa's portion of I-80 neared completion.

Iowa 80 started modestly: The facility was housed in a small building surrounded by cornfields and featured a small store, a single lube bay and a restaurant.

The late Bill Moon, an entrepreneur who'd later buy the truck stop, found land for the new business. He convinced Standard Oil to let him run the truck stop a year later, taking full ownership in 1984.

Moon thought the site was 'a great halfway point between Des Moines and Chicago, a great spot for a truck stop,'" said Lee Meier, marketing manager for Iowa 80 Group. "I don't think he set out to be the largest. I don't think, without his continued leadership, that we would have been the largest truck stop in the world."

Since its origin, Iowa 80 has gone through 32 expansions, most recently an update in 2017 that changed the layout of the 130,000-square-foot main building.

Meir said Moon was inspired to create a space for truck drivers to relax and enjoy a break from the road, "their home away from home."

For the average traveler, walking into the truck stop is like stepping into any convenience gas station — on steroids.

"It always makes me giggle whenever people haven't explored past the 'I just stopped for gas and the sandwich, and then I got back on the road,'" Meier said. "You weren't even curious?"

Iowa 80 offers nearly everything except alcohol, which they don't sell on site out of caution.

"We want people to be safe on the road, and we don't think that serving alcohol contributes to safe driving," Meier said.

While you won't find a bar onsite, travelers don't seem to mind. There's plenty of other action for visitors to indulge in.

Thousands of daily patrons and a ton of parking spots

Iowa 80 is a bustling stop for travelers on the road, some stopping for a quick fuel up and others for a long haul journey. 

The truck stop pulls in an average of 5,000 visitors a day, 1.8 million visitors per year.

With 900 parking spots for cars and 18-wheeled semi-trucks alike, Meier noted the visitors are fairly equal, roughly "50% truckers, 50% other travelers.”

What makes Iowa 80 'the world's largest truck stop?' Even Buc-ee's can't compete

Doing it big seems to be Iowa 80's unofficial motto. Before there was the nationwide sensation of Buc-ee's, there was the 130,000-square-foot Walcott behemoth.

Today, there are an estimated 2,500 truck stops in the United States, according to the National Association of Truck Stop Operators (NATSO). To be considered a truck stop, a facility must have “one shower, 15 parking spaces and diesel fuel for sale.” 

By NATSO standards, Iowa 80 could be split into 24 truck stops.

“I don’t know that anyone has contested us as 'The World’s Largest,’" Meier said.

Iowa 80 isn't threatened by competitors, even if it's Buc-ee’s, the fan-favorite gas station that is expanding north.

The largest Buc-ee’s is 75,000 square feet in Luling, Texas. Iowa 80’s main building alone is still 55,000 square feet larger and has room to grow.

"They might be the largest gas station in Texas, but we're the largest truck stop in the world," Meier said.

The always-open Iowa 80 Kitchen is a homestyle haven on the road

If all the talk about size and large offerings has you hungry, Iowa 80 places a significant emphasis on feeding its guests, offering a full-service, 24/7 kitchen that pumps out a large buffet and several multi-course dinners.

The famous Iowa 80 Kitchen has been serving customers since 1964. It has remained family-owned by the Moons, now in its third generation and offers a daily all-you-can-eat buffet featuring hearty Midwest cuisine.

The restaurant serves about 300 diners daily, more in the summer, as travel increases. It has savory options like chicken fried steak and loaded omelets to a stack of sweet cream pancakes

If fast food is your jam, there is Wendy's, Taco Bell, Caribou Coffee & Einstein Bros. Bagels, Dairy Queen & Orange Julius and Pizza Hut. A Blimpie is located in the Truck Service Center. 

'If we don’t have it, nobody does'

There are plenty of other things to do than eat, however, including shopping or even catching a movie.

Iowa 80 is a treasure trove of souvenirs, necessities and oddities. It sells thousands of items, such as commemorative magnets and keychains boasting the “world’s largest” branding to stuffed animals, punny T-shirts, cozy blankets and quirky tchotchkes, many celebrating Iowa.

The Super Truck Showroom sells trucker essentials, including mattresses for the inside of the cab, fog headlights, decorative interior lights, horns, exhaust pipes and tires, from Mack to Freightliners. The showroom has an embroidery shop that can customize anything. Some truckers pick up T-shirts with their own rides on them.

“You can find a gift for literally anyone here,” Meier said. “I’m not kidding when I say, ‘I did my holiday shopping here.’”

Drivers in need of a quick tune-up can head across the lot to the Truck Service Center, a 24-hour road service with mechanics who assist with repairs such as engine checks, alignments and chrome installation services.

Iowa 80: A home away from home offering dental work, physical therapy

But truckers rely on more than vehicle parts to keep moving. They also have to take care of themselves. Once their rig is taken care of, they can explore the other unique offerings of Iowa 80.

Long-haul truckers travel roughly 100,000 miles per year, averaging 500 to 600 miles a day.

“We try to have amenities that make sense for people so that when they're home, they get to just be with their family and not run around and do errands,” Meier said. “(Our services and amenities allow truckers) to enjoy the things that matter to them when they are home that are not doing laundry or getting a haircut.”

Anything can happen on the road, from cracking a tooth to persistent back pain. Iowa 80 has them covered.

Its dentist and chiropractor operate daily for emergencies or routine visits. For truckers, that can mean getting a routine DOT (Department of Transportation) physical and employer-mandated drug testing.

“Anybody can come and get adjusted, I get adjusted here,” Meier said.

Catch a movie on the silver screen at Iowa 80

After you've had your fill of shopping and a hearty snack, perhaps it's time to explore something unique, like a quick movie.

Again Iowa 80 has it covered with its Trucker's Theatre. With dozens of movies to pick from, like 'Legally Blonde' and 'Transformers,' the 70-seat theater has something for all preferences.

“It can be a lonely lifestyle out on the road, so we want to offer places for them to hang out with other drivers,” Meier said.

A trucker jamboree in Walcott

Catering to the truck drivers' needs is what Iowa 80 emphasizes, especially during the annual Trucker Jamboree.

The jamboree brings together customers from across the country to celebrate the trucker lifestyle with food and entertainment that includes live music and contests, like the Super Truck Beauty Contest and the Truckers Olympics.

The Trucker's Jamboree has been celebrating the American trucking industry since 1979. It occurs annually the weekend after the Fourth of July. This year, the event is set for July 10-12.

A museum within a truck stop

Antique trucks take center stage during the celebration. Moon had a passion for older vehicles, as evidenced by his collection, a majority of which is on display at the Iowa 80 Trucking Museum.

Though massive, the Iowa Trucking Museum is a hidden gem. Since opening to the public in 2000 in a storage building, the free museum has grown into a collection of 130 trucks, vintage gas pumps and an array of historic signage.

Visitors can step back in time to see what trucks were like on Interstate 80 when it was once a quiet stretch of road.

The museum, like Iowa 80 as a whole, is the brainchild of Moon. He deeply appreciated classic trucks and believed that trucking was a revolutionary force in the American tapestry.

“(Moon) always wanted to open up a trucking museum, which would be his retirement (project)," Meier said. "Unfortunately, he died in 1992, but his family opened the museum in his honor.”

One of the oldest trucks in the collection is a 1903 Eldridge. Enthusiasts believe it is one of the first trucks built in the United States and was made in Des Moines. The vehicle is a cross between a truck and a farm wagon, with a top speed of 10 miles per hour.

At Iowa 80, there's no shortage of things to do. But what else would you expect from "The World's Largest Truck Stop?"

Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and education reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached atJRish@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rishjessica_