SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP, P.A. — Wawa is celebrating a significant milestone in its hometown region with the opening of its 1,000th fuel store in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, where the company’s history began more than 120 years ago.
The new store, located at 675 Baltimore Pike in Springfield Township, opened on December 11. It will be the township’s second Wawa location, joining an existing store at the corner of Saxer Avenue and Powell Road. Doors will open at 8 a.m., followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 8:30 a.m.
While Wawa operates over 1,175 stores nationwide, not all locations sell gasoline. The company began offering fuel in 1996 with its first fuel store in Millsboro, Del. The Springfield Township location signifies the 1,000th Wawa store to feature fuel service.
Wawa’s history begins in Delaware County in 1902 when founder George Wood started Wawa Dairy Farms, delivering fresh milk from Guernsey cows to nearby homes. The first Wawa Food Market opened in Folsom in 1964, laying the groundwork for today’s convenience store chain.
The company expanded into New Jersey and Delaware by 1969 and introduced several defining features in the 1970s and 1980s, including pre-made hoagies, its Built-to-Order foodservice model, and the deli layout that remains central to the brand today.
Wawa now operates in 13 states, including Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, and North Carolina. Despite its Pennsylvania roots, Florida is currently Wawa’s biggest market, with 309 locations, according to data from ScrapeHero.
The chain’s growth has intensified its long-standing rivalry with Sheetz, the Altoona, Pa.-based convenience retailer founded in 1952. Sheetz operates roughly 800 locations and has recently begun expanding closer to Wawa’s core markets, while Wawa is opening stores near Sheetz’s western Pennsylvania stronghold. Sheetz is planning a Chester County location, and Wawa has announced openings in Centre County, approximately 30 miles from Sheetz headquarters.
In April 2023, Wawa achieved another milestone with the opening of its 1,000th store of any kind in Oaklyn, N.J.
