This US State Is Home To The World's Largest Costco

While Costco is already known for the size of its establishments — which are even called warehouses rather than stores — not all Costcos are created equal from place to place. Where, then, is the mightiest Costco of them all? You might guess Texas, since it's often the first place we associate with the word "big." In this case, though, the title for the state with the world's largest Costco goes to Utah. By an impressive margin, the Salt Lake City Costco takes the cake for the world's largest, coming in at a whopping 235,000 square feet. Its warehouse is so large it can accommodate a full-service car wash, and its freezer section houses whole lambs and pigs. But you'll probably want to fuel up on a few food court hot dogs before shopping in this behemoth.

The second-largest Costco is in Tiquilla, Mexico, at 175,000 square feet. When considering only U.S. Costcos, San Francisco comes in second largest, at 170,000 square feet. While Salt Lake City's Costco currently holds the record, this could change soon. There is talk of building a 241,000-square-foot Costco warehouse in Fresno, California, but the proposal is only in its early stages. With stores this massive, it's no wonder that the first-ever Costco was in a very large and distinctive location: inside an airplane hangar.

Costco warehouses have a particular cult following that those who have never been to one simply might not understand. Loyal customers swear by them. Why? Well, there are certainly the low prices and the convenience of being able to buy things in bulk and make one trip to the store per month versus 10. But there's a lot more to love about Costco beyond a $16.99 box containing 48 packets of ramen noodles (by the way, that's equivalent to a month and a half's worth of college dinners). There are plenty of unique supermarkets around the world, but Costco is truly on another level.

One of the many things you may not know about Costco is that you need a membership to shop there. This is part of what allows the company to maintain low prices and run deals for members that keep them coming back. There are two membership tiers: Gold and Executive, priced at $65 and $130 per year, respectively. Executive members get exclusive shopping hours, a 2% annual reward, discounts on other Costco services, and an extra $10 per month to put towards online orders.

Outside of the stores providing excellent value for members, Costco warehouses offer a truly unique shopping experience. Finding unexpected deals in the open warehouses and being able to grab everything you need in large quantities feels like walking through the land of plenty. You can even stop at the food court when you're hungry, making the whole trip feel like an exciting day out. Whatever you do, just make sure you wear comfortable walking shoes, especially if you're in Salt Lake City.