Special Report

The Number of Chick-fil-A Locations in Every State

Mike Edmisten

Published: November 20, 2023 1:02 pm

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

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Chick-fil-A locations: 4

39. (tie) Idaho

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Chick-fil-A locations: 10

39. (tie) Oregon

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Chick-fil-A locations: 10

38. Nebraska

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Chick-fil-A locations: 11

37. Connecticut

Source: SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images

Chick-fil-A locations: 14

34. (tie) Delaware

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Chick-fil-A locations: 192

3. Florida

Source: Michael Warren / E+ via Getty Images

Chick-fil-A locations: 248

2. Georgia

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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.