|
Today’s number: 3 million Wally’s visitors per year
Friday, Jan 16, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Gov. JB Pritzker held a press conference this week at Wally’s, a massive and beloved gas station and travel center in Pontiac, to announce several new EV charging stations. Wally’s CEO Michael Rubenstein spoke at the event and said the business hosted 3 million visitors last year. 3 million. That’s about a third of the number of people who visit Navy Pier every year. Astounding. Anyway, discuss.
|
- clec dcn - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 9:35 am:
Good place to ride your bicycle to and then get a snack and some fluid. Out in the open not traffic problems. Kinda of a cool place really.
- We've never had one before - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 9:35 am:
>>>>a third of the number of people who visit Navy Pier every year.
A comparison of crime rates would also prove illuminating, but Navy Pier just cannot compare to the beef jerky offerings and vintage campers displayed at the Pontiac location, coupled by a sudden urge to use a clean bathroom.
- Almost the Weekend - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 9:38 am:
The money from those gaming machines has to be in the eight figures. My gosh
- Norseman - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 9:42 am:
Stopped there for the first time on my way to Aurora to visit relatives for Xmas. Amazing store. Bought my new granddaughter a Cubs lovey. Glad the owners are embracing EV chargers.
- Tile - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 9:44 am:
They have, legit, some of the best homemade potato chips I’ve ever had. I make a point to stop whenever I’m driving that way
- twowaystreet - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 9:47 am:
3 million equates to roughly 80,000 Springfield folks hitting up Wallies each week of session on the way there and the way back.
The reality is obviously smaller, but no doubt that Springfield traffic makes up a significant portion of their business. No matter what time I leave Springifield I always see a few people I know meandering around Wally’s.
- Matty - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 9:52 am:
Nice place overall, but highly overrated. Coffee sucks, I don’t eat popcorn, nor do I eat meat. It’s a stop for cheap fuel and a bathroom break for me.
I’m absolutely in love with that orange Wagoneer they have on display out front though.
- George Ryan Reynolds - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 9:55 am:
Having now been to a Buc-ees, I realize where Wally’s got its inspiration from. But we don’t have Buc-ees in IL. We have Wally’s, which is a beacon of light on long drives down I-55. And makes it the superior drive to I-57, which can be bleak for such amenities.
- Rounding Numbers and Bases - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 9:55 am:
=gaming machines=
I don’t think they have VGT’s there.
I wish the restrooms still had the old automatic soap, water, and hand dryers. I wonder if maintenance on those became too problmeatic.
- TreeFiddy - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 9:58 am:
I never got the Cult of Wally’s… but then I visited a few years ago on trip up to Chicago, and I’ve become a full convert.
- Red Ranger - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 9:59 am:
Its amazing. The location is perfect, just far enough from the Chicago area to need a break in driving, but far enough from Springfield where it still make sense to stop. Clean bathrooms, good food/drink options, well lit. It seems like such an easy concept, but judging by the other 99.9% of gas stations, it must be much harder to do than it seems.
- Annon'in - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 10:01 am:
First time I approached at nite it appeared a Martian flying saucer had landed at Pontiac — then the word Wally’s appeared.
- OutHereInTheMiddle - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 10:01 am:
Wish those grants would fund some more chargers in Western Illinois. There are about 4 total chargers east of Springfield/Bloomington.
- Red Ketcher - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 10:05 am:
Good deal, Pontiac just used to be famous for the Landfill and the Prison. Fortunately never ended up in either one.
- Streator Curmudgeon - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 10:08 am:
Clerks are small-town friendly and the place is spotlessly clean, including the restrooms.
I like their beef brisket sandwich. Tender and flavorful.
The variety of customers sometimes reminds me of the cantina scene in Star Wars.
- No relation - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 10:13 am:
At 3 million visitors a year with an average car with three people that is about 115 cars an hour or close to two cars a min pulling into the station 24/7.
- RNUG - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 10:14 am:
I have to think that Buc-ees and Wallys took their inspiration from the I-80 truck stop just west of the Quad Cities.
- Behind the Scenes - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 10:17 am:
Stopped there once not long after they had opened. Great selection of food and other stuff. Clean restrooms, Didn’t need fuel so can’t remember it’s price. Only knock is with all the food to choose from, there’s no place to sit down to eat it. Just not crazy about trying to eat and drive on I-55 at the same time.
- The Dude Abides - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 10:17 am:
Been a regular since they opened - I live in Springfield, but drive to Chicagoland 10-12 weekends per year. It’s around halfway, and is a perfect pit stop both ways.
Food options are great, even if like me you lean towards healthier options.
And no, they do NOT have VGT’s.
- Think again - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 10:22 am:
I love the Mega Travel Centers - Have to stop at Wally’s, Buc-ees and of course, the original and still best, the World’s largest Truck stop in Walcott, Iowa
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 10:24 am:
For a fair comparison with other roadside attractions:
Wall Drug - 2 million
Cadillac Ranch - 2 million
Graceland - 650K
Mitchell Corn Palace - 500K
Ruby Falls: 500K
Also, for fun:
Cubs: 2.9M
White Sox: 1.3M
Chicago Bears: 234K
What makes Wally’s work is that they are always fully staffed, you never spend more than three minutes checking out.
- Frida's Boss - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 10:24 am:
Wally’s store and food areas are clean, the bathrooms are clean, and it has a ton of pumps. Fountain drinks are cheap and large for the caffeine fix needed mid-trip.
The hot sandwich quality has dropped since the opening, but that’s probably a cost issue, not having actual carvers in that middle section all day, as in the beginning.
- TNR - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 10:27 am:
Love Wally’s, but simply don’t believe those numbers. Found an IDOT traffic count for I-55 that shows roughly 22,000 vehicles a day pass the site. More than a third of them would have to pull off and go to Wally’s to generate that number of visits. That doesn’t happen. For what it’s worth, I don’t buy the Navy Pier numbers either.
This reminds me of the comically high crowd estimates the city of Chicago would release for the Bulls championship rallies at Grant Park.
- Give Us Barabbas - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 10:47 am:
Wally’s is like the IKEA of gas stations. The lack of seating has to be for some kind of advantageous legal reason, I am guessing it is the difference between being classified as a restaurant, for tax reasons, and just a gas station. I would be interested in a news article about that subject with a detailed explanation.
- Mike McDermott - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 10:51 am:
Love Wally’s, wide selection, plenty of pumps, clean facilities on every visit, warm, friendly staff, brisket by the pound, friday fish sandwiches….fact sheets can be left by the camper…
- Friendly Bob Adams - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 11:08 am:
I agree with the folks above calling baloney on the number of visitors. That’s 350 people per hour for each of the 8,760 hours in the year (including the overnight hours). Seems unrealistic.
Fun place to stop but since I’ve retired and no longer trekking to Springfield regularly, I’ve only been there a few times.
- Excitable Boy - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 11:16 am:
This may be an unpopular opinion but I find the Wally’s to be overrated. I always stop at the Shell right off the highway instead. Then again I’m never at a gas station to spend any more time than it takes to get gas, use the restroom, and buy coffee.
- Thomas Paine - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 11:23 am:
=== but simply don’t believe those numbers. ===
A classical psychological problem of investigative reporters, social media posters and cults is to start with a conclusion and scorch the earth for evidence to support their beliefs while ignoring all contradictory evidence and making all kinds of wild assumptions.
In this case, assuming all vehicles have only one passenger.
And Wally’s has any reason to lie because one million or two million visitors would not blow our minds, they just had to go for three million.
Or Wally’s has no way to reliably calculate within the margin of error how many visitors they get, or state government would not ask for and verify that info before awarding a grant,
To the underlying presser:
This is exactly the kind of thing people want to see from Pritzker: state government partnering with the private sector to create sustainable economic growth in communities around the state.
This is also, coincidentally, the type of economic growth that Musk envisions for Tesla, he just has not been able to deliver. Musk proposed destination stations where people would hang out, eat, drink coffee while their Teslas recharge.
- Kelly Cassidy - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 11:29 am:
@rounding - I’ve been wondering the same thing. I avoid all blowing hand dryers as they gross me out and appreciate that Wally’s makes paper towels available, but those fixtures were pretty cool.
- ChrisB - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 11:32 am:
I visited my cousin in Colorado last year, and was astounded by their EV infrastructure. There were charging stations everywhere, not just at “gas stations” or truck stops.
Need to run to Target? EV Charger in the parking lot. On a road trip? Charging station at the lunch spot. Want to stretch your legs at a park? Two charging spots.
Illinois is woefully behind in this area, almost embarrassingly so. I recognize this is a chicken or egg situation, but we need to get on it ASAP.
- Candy Dogood - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 11:38 am:
===Clean bathrooms===
Even more impressive when you consider the thousands of people using them each day.
- We've never had one before - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 11:45 am:
EV charging stations: What is powering them?
A friend had a short video he made at a buc’ees where you could hear and see diesel generators behind the EV stations.
- Unionman - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 11:59 am:
Cleanest public bathrooms between Chicago and Springfield. What else could you ask for.
- Give us Barabbas - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 1:11 pm:
As I pass state highway rest stops under reconstruction up rt 55 I wonder if they will have charging stations for a quick burst of extra range. I think they should.
- 'lectric guitar - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 1:17 pm:
I’ve yet to stop at this Wally’s, but I’ve stopped at the one in Fenton, Mo (right off of 44) a few times and was very impressed with the bathrooms and food offerings.
Usually if I go to Chicago I take the train, but if I ever find myself driving up, the Pontiac Wallys will be on the iternerary.
- Billy Bob - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 1:33 pm:
==Coffee sucks==
Wally’s defender here, but the coffee does suck. If Dunkin next door is open, I’m always stopping there before hopping back on 55.
- The Dude Abides - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 3:26 pm:
Re: ‘lectric Guitar
When driving down 44 (either to Rolla or Springfield MO), that is my stop. It’s comparable, but the Pontiac one is really easy to get to from 55 and hard to miss.
- old guy - Friday, Jan 16, 26 @ 3:29 pm:
But they don’t compare to Buckees!!