Chick-fil-A is the third most profitable restaurant chain in the United States, trailing only McDonald’s and Starbucks. While that alone is impressive, what is even more eye-popping is that this franchise specializing in chicken sandwiches has far fewer locations than many other well-known fast-food chains. Subway, Taco Bell, Burger King, and Wendy’s all have far more locations than Chick-fil-A, yet Chick-fil-A easily outearns them all year after year. In fact, there are 17 fast-food chains that have more U.S. locations than Chick-fil-A, but Chick-fil-A is more profitable than all of them except the aforementioned McDonald’s and Starbucks. (Here’s the full list of the 25 biggest restaurant chains in America.)
Source: Susan Vineyard / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
Perhaps most impressive of all, though, is how individual Chick-fil-A locations thrive compared to all other fast-food chains. One freestanding Chick-fil-A location averages over $8 million in gross annual income, more than double the gross income of the average McDonald’s location. Even without these figures, Chick-fil-A fans can anecdotally attest to the popularity of the chain by the long lines at the drive-thru virtually any time of day.
How Far Are You From a Chicken Sandwich?
Americans clearly love their Chick-fil-A, but the franchise’s locations are not equally distributed throughout the United States. While chains such as Subway and McDonald’s have tens of thousands of locations across the country, Chick-fil-A has just over 3,000 U.S. restaurants. The franchise consistently opens new locations each year, but many Americans still live nowhere close to a Chick-fil-A restaurant and its iconic chicken sandwiches. For example, there are no Chick-fil-A stores at all in Alaska, Hawaii, or Vermont. Nine other states have ten or fewer locations where residents can get their chicken fix.
We want to help you satisfy your craving for these melt-in-your-mouth sandwiches (and let’s not forget the waffle fries and sweet tea). According to the Chick-fil-A website, here is how the franchise’s locations are distributed by state. Chick-fil-A was founded in Georgia, so you might expect that state to house the most Chick-fil-A stores. While the Peach State certainly has quite a lot of Chick-fil-A locations, it does have the most. The top Chick-fil-A state boasts nearly double the number of locations as the franchise’s home state of Georgia.
Let’s get into the numbers. Oh, and there’s no need to thank us for compiling this list. It’s our pleasure. (If you know, you know.)
48. (tie) Alaska
Source: Jacob Boomsma / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 0
48. (tie) Hawaii
Source: okimo / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 0
48. (tie) Vermont
Source: DenisTangneyJr / E+ via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 0
45. (tie) Maine
Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 2
45. (tie) Rhode Island
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 2
45. (tie) Wyoming
Source: DenisTangneyJr / E+ via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 2
43. (tie) Montana
Source: Jon Bilous / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 3
43. (tie) New Hampshire
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 3
41. (tie) North Dakota
Source: Jacob Boomsma / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 4
41. (tie) South Dakota
Source: DenisTangneyJr / E+ via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 4
39. (tie) Idaho
Source: Seibel Photography LLC / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 10
39. (tie) Oregon
Source: jbentley09 / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 10
38. Nebraska
Source: Davel5957 / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 11
37. Connecticut
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 14
34. (tie) Delaware
Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 15
34. (tie) Iowa
Source: pabradyphoto / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 15
34. (tie) New Mexico
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 15
32. (tie) Massachusetts
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 18
32. (tie) Nevada
Source: f11photo / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 18
31. Wisconsin
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 20
30. Washington State
Source: halbergman / E+ via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 21
28. (tie) Kansas
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 23
28. (tie) West Virginia
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 23
27. Minnesota
Source: jimkruger / E+ via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 27
26. Michigan
Source: Davel5957 / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 28
25. Utah
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 33
24. Arkansas
Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 36
23. Mississippi
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 42
22. Missouri
Source: Art Wager / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 48
20. (tie) Kentucky
Source: lovingav / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 50
20. (tie) New York
Source: DenisTangneyJr / E+ via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 50
19. Arizona
Source: 4kodiak / E+ via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 51
18. Oklahoma
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 53
17. Colorado
Source: milehightraveler / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 56
16. Indiana
Source: Ultima_Gaina / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 57
15. Louisiana
Source: felixmizioznikov / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 58
14. New Jersey
Source: Ultima_Gaina / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 61
13. Illinois
Source: JaySi / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 63
12. Ohio
Source: pawel.gaul / E+ via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 81
11. Maryland
Source: aimintang / E+ via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 88
10. Alabama
Source: Kruck20 / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 90
8. (tie) Pennsylvania
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 103
8. (tie) Tennessee
Source: Kruck20 / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 103
7. South Carolina
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 104
6. Virginia
Source: bfg1118 / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 142
5. California
Source: MattGush / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 183
4. North Carolina
Source: Kruck20 / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 192
3. Florida
Source: Michael Warren / E+ via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 248
2. Georgia
Source: Kruck20 / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 260
1. Texas
Source: Barbara Smyers / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 493
Additional Locations
Along with these 47 U.S. states, Chick-fil-A does have additional locations with plans to expand even further.
Washington, D.C.
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 13
Ontario, Canada
Source: diegograndi / Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 11
Puerto Rico
Source: Martin Wheeler / iStock via Getty Images
Chick-fil-A locations: 5
Future International Locations
Source: xavierarnau / E+ via Getty Images
In a recent release, Chick-fil-A announced it is planning to open in the United Kingdom in early 2025, with a vision to expand to five locations within the first two years. The U.K. locations will mark the first permanent Chick-fil-A locations outside of North America.
The company also plans to expand deeper into Europe and Asia by 2026, along with five international locations by 2030. However, it did not specify where those locations would be built.
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