Buc-ee's Colorado: Johnstown Guide & Rocky Mountain Road Trip Tips

Colorado has one open Buc-ee's, located at 5201 Nugget Road in Berthoud (commonly called the Johnstown location), off I-25 between Denver and Fort Collins. The 74,000-square-foot store opened March 18, 2024, as the first Buc-ee's travel center in the entire Mountain West region. It serves Front Range commuters, RMNP visitors, and northbound road trippers.

Colorado Buc-ee's: Quick Facts at a Glance

Where Is the Buc-ee's in Colorado?

The store sits at the southwest corner of I-25 and Weld County Road 48, near the Colorado Highway 60 interchange. Its mailing address is Berthoud, Colorado, but the location falls within Johnstown's commercial zone, which is why you'll see it called both names depending on the source.

Key geographic context:

• Directly on I-25, the spine of the Front Range corridor
• 0.4 miles off the interstate, accessible via a purpose-built roundabout
• Across the highway from Johnson's Corner, a truck stop and bakery that has operated on this stretch of I-25 since 1952
• Sits at 4,850 feet elevation, already above Denver's famous mile-high mark

The address for GPS: 5201 Nugget Road, Berthoud, CO 80513. If you're coming from Denver, stay on I-25 north and look for Exit 252.

How Far Is Colorado's Buc-ee's from Major Cities?

When Did Buc-ee's Open in Colorado?

Colorado's only Buc-ee's opened on March 18, 2024, at 6:00 a.m. in Johnstown. The store opened on a Monday during Colorado's spring break week, which contributed to extraordinary opening-day crowds. It was the first Buc-ee's to open west of Texas since the chain was founded in 1982.

Hundreds of fans lined up before dawn. A group of teenagers camped out overnight. One local resident, originally from Texas, arrived at 1:30 a.m. in Buc-ee's-branded pajamas. Buc-ee's director of operations Josh Smith noted that most Colorado hires had never been inside a Buc-ee's before their first day of work. They trained on fresh-smoked brisket within three weeks.

Colorado gave the opening a true mountain welcome: March on the Front Range means unpredictable weather, and the spring snow season was in full swing. The store opened anyway, at 6 a.m. sharp, on time.

Why Did Buc-ee's Choose Johnstown on the Front Range?

This was not a random pick. Exit 252 on I-25 scores high on every metric Buc-ee's uses to evaluate new markets:

Population growth corridor

Johnstown is currently one of the fastest-growing towns in the United States. According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates released in 2026, Johnstown's population grew 8.4% from July 2024 to July 2025, from 20,697 to 22,433 residents. That placed it 10th nationally among incorporated places with 20,000 or more residents. The only other states beating Colorado in that Top 10 list were Texas (six cities) and Florida.

Traffic volume at the crossroads

I-25 is the primary north-south artery linking Denver, Fort Collins, and Cheyenne. US-34 running west from Loveland to Rocky Mountain National Park and Estes Park crosses this corridor just south of the store. Both routes generate heavy leisure and commuter traffic year-round.

Ski season demand

Winter Park Resort is roughly 2 to 2.5 hours southwest via US-40. Steamboat Springs is approximately 2.5 to 3 hours west via US-34 and CO-131. Skiers driving from Fort Collins, Cheyenne, or northern Denver suburbs pass directly through Johnstown on I-25 before heading west.

Gateway to Wyoming and Montana

Northbound road trippers driving the I-25 corridor toward Cheyenne, Casper, and eventually Yellowstone or Glacier National Park have no comparable fuel and food stop for hundreds of miles once they cross into Wyoming.

The town of Johnstown also provided financial incentives, including a 20-year sales tax shareback agreement, contingent on Buc-ee's installing EV chargers and funding off-site infrastructure like the roundabout at the entrance.

What Should You Know About Colorado Altitude and Weather Before Visiting?

The Johnstown Buc-ee's sits at approximately 4,850 feet elevation. That's already above Denver and well above sea level for visitors from coastal or plains states. Altitude effects are mild at this elevation, but dehydration sets in faster. Fill up on water here before driving west toward passes that exceed 11,000 feet.

Seasonal conditions to plan around:

Winter (November-March)

• Colorado's Traction Law can take effect on I-25 and all mountain passes. This law requires adequate tire tread depth or approved traction tires. Violations when triggering a rescue carry fines.
• The stretch of I-25 between Denver and Fort Collins sees periodic closures during severe snow events.
• Mountain passes west of Johnstown, including Berthoud Pass (11,307 ft) on US-40 and Loveland Pass (11,990 ft) on US-6, require proper winter tires or chains.
• Always check COTRIP.org for pass conditions before heading west from the Buc-ee's.

Summer (June-August)

• Afternoon thunderstorms are a daily occurrence along the Front Range, typically developing between noon and 4 p.m.
• Flash flood risks increase on canyon roads heading into Rocky Mountain NP.
• This is peak RMNP visitation season. Timed-entry reservations for Rocky Mountain National Park are required during summer months between specific hours.

Fuel gauge planning crossing the Rockies

Once you head west from Loveland on US-34 or north from Denver on I-70 toward mountain resorts, gas stations become sparse. The Buc-ee's 116-pump facility is a practical final fill-up before long mountain stretches.

What Are the Best Rocky Mountain Road Trips Through Colorado's Buc-ee's?

Route 1: Denver to Yellowstone via I-25 and I-80

Drive north from Denver on I-25, stop at Johnstown Buc-ee's (~50 miles, ~45 min), continue north through Fort Collins and Cheyenne (~50 miles from Buc-ee's), then pick up I-80 west through Wyoming. Yellowstone's south entrance is roughly 7 to 8 hours from Johnstown.

Route 2: Denver to Rocky Mountain National Park via US-34

North on I-25 to Exit 252, stock up at Buc-ee's, then head south briefly to Loveland and pick up US-34 west. Estes Park is ~40 miles and about 50 minutes from the store. The park's east entrance is 4 miles beyond Estes Park. Fill your tank completely here. There are no fuel stations inside the park.

Route 3: Denver to Estes Park Loop (Day Trip)

Head north on I-25 to Buc-ee's for fuel and food, drive to Estes Park via US-34, loop south through Lyons and Boulder on CO-7 and US-36, return to Denver. Total loop: ~150 miles.

Route 4: Cross-Country I-70 to I-25 Connection

Road trippers driving I-70 from Kansas and eastern Colorado can continue to Denver and pivot north on I-25 to Johnstown. This makes Buc-ee's the first full-service mountain-west fuel stop after hundreds of miles of plains highway.

Route 5: Ski Season Run to Winter Park or Steamboat

Leave Fort Collins or northern Denver metro, stop at Buc-ee's for fuel and trail snacks, then head south briefly and take I-70 west to Winter Park (US-40 over Berthoud Pass) or continue to Steamboat Springs via US-40 and CO-131. Both resorts are under 3 hours from the store.

Will Colorado Get a Second Buc-ee's?

No second Colorado Buc-ee's is currently confirmed. A proposed location in unincorporated El Paso County near Monument and Palmer Lake, on I-25 south of Colorado Springs, was put forward but later withdrawn, according to reporting by the Austin American-Statesman and Colorado Public Radio in 2026. The official Buc-ee's locations page lists only one Colorado store.

What the data suggests about future expansion

If Buc-ee's evaluates Colorado again, the logical candidates would be:

• Colorado Springs metro (I-25 corridor, 494,743 residents as of 2025, per U.S. Census Bureau) with no current location
• Denver metro interchange at I-25 and I-70, one of the busiest highway junctions in the Mountain West
• Grand Junction as a gateway to Utah, though population density is lower

Until a second location is announced, the Johnstown store handles all of Colorado, southern Wyoming, and the entire Mountain West.

Frequently Asked Questions