Costco drivers near the company's Issaquah headquarters have a bigger fueling station to pull into these days, the latest step in an expansion plan that's been taking shape around the retailer's home turf for months. The project traces back to a relocation plan first detailed in June 2025, when Costco planned to reshape its fuel operations just blocks from where the company is based.
According to KIRO 7, Costco was planning to move its neighboring fueling station to Lake Drive and 11th Avenue Northwest. The outlet reported the project called for 40,000-gallon underground storage tanks and an 18,800-square-foot canopy, specifications that would make the rebuilt station notably larger than a standard Costco fuel stop.
KIRO 7 also reported, citing The Puget Sound Business Journal, that Costco bought the nearby former Red Robin property for $16 million as part of the broader footprint expansion near its headquarters. That purchase gave the company additional land to work with as it reconfigured the fueling site along Lake Drive.
Local Officials Flagged the Project Months Ago
The expansion wasn't news to Issaquah City Hall. A city-produced business podcast episode dated July 8, 2026, noted that host Autumn Monahan and Economic Development Manager Alexis Fitzsimmons discussed Costco's expanded gas station alongside other local business updates, according to issaquahwa.gov. The episode also touched on other happenings around town, including updates on Uniqlo and J.Crew Factory and a remodel at Tutta Bella.
The city's mention of the station came well before any opening, and it didn't include specifics on fueling positions or a timeline, leaving those details to later reporting.
How It Compares to Costco's Standalone Stations Elsewhere
Costco's fuel business has been evolving on a national scale too. The company opened its first standalone gas station, separate from an attached warehouse, in Mission Viejo, California, featuring a 17,185-square-foot canopy with 40 fueling positions and access limited to Costco warehouse members, according to al.com. The outlet noted Costco's next standalone station, under construction in Honolulu, was expected to open in 2027.
Costco's fuel business isn't new, either. Per the same outlet, Costco began selling gas back in 1995 at an outparcel of its Tucson, Arizona, warehouse store, a modest start compared to the scale of its current projects.
The specifics of the Issaquah station's current size and fueling-position count haven't been independently confirmed beyond what was originally planned for the Lake Drive relocation. What is clear is that the project fits into a pattern of Costco investing heavily in fuel infrastructure both near its corporate home and across its broader network.
