Here's Where You Can Find The Smallest And Largest Costco In The US

One word that will probably never be synonymous with Costco is small. Still, the size of every one of the bulk retailer's stores varies, and the smallest Costco location is a lot more compact than its counterparts. So, if you want to plan a trip to see the world's smallest Costco, you can find it in Juneau, Alaska. 

This location is about half the size of most other Costcos (which are typically around 160,000 square feet). While it has no bakery or gas station, there are plenty of other features including booze and, of course, one of the chain's famous food courts. The reason for this store's unusually small size, by Costco's standards anyway, is that it was initially built as a prototype by Costco to see if a smaller format store could work. While the company eventually decided not to proceed with building additional stores of this smaller size, the compact space was still perfect for the residents of Juneau, Alaska. This city boasts just over 32,000 residents, and you can only reach it by boat or plane. 

Still, this store is quite busy, and is considered an essential resource for some residents. One man makes a seven-hour trip to this Costco every week to stock up on essentials for the entire town of Gustavus, Alaska. So, in addition to being the smallest Costco, it's also considered one of the most isolated locations.

If you're a true Costco fan, or simply someone who believes that bigger is truly better, skip the Juneau location and make your way to Salt Lake City, Utah instead. This is the home of the world's largest Costco. At a whopping 235,000 square feet, this store is nearly double the size of many other Costcos. (So, if you get overwhelmed or lost in there, no one would blame you.) 

Just like the Juneau location, the reason for the larger size of this store is that it was another case of Costco experimenting. The store was upgraded in 2015 to see if residents in Salt Lake City would utilize a Costco business center, which is a special type of Costco that caters to those who need to buy in larger, industrial-sized bulk quantities. This feature is what really sets this location apart, and among all the other traditional offerings from Costco, it is outfitted to cater to the needs of schools and food service businesses. Here, members can buy entire pallets of goods if needed. For reference, the freezer section even has whole pigs.

While the United States might boast both the smallest and largest Costcos in the world, the company has over 800 locations scattered all around the world, and is building more by the day. In fact, a Fresno, California store is set to snag the title for the second largest Costco. This new store will be around 219,000 square feet in size and will include a car wash and food delivery service. (The chain's delivery service isn't an entirely new concept. If you live in certain states, some Costco locations can even deliver alcohol to your house.)

Sizes of these warehouses aside, many other Costco stores have their own note-worthy merits. For example, most people don't know that the first ever Costco was built in a truly distinctive location: an old airplane hangar. That store is still open to customers today in sunny San Diego, California, so members can take a look at the original concept for this chain. 

Even if your local Costco doesn't have any quirky or exciting features, you might live near another location that has some unique offerings of its own that would make other members jealous. So, if you don't see your town mentioned here, don't get FOMO.