Car Wash Site Selection Guide for Illinois

Location is the most important factor in car wash success. These site evaluation criteria help identify high-performing Illinois car wash locations.

Traffic Count Benchmarks

Illinois DOT (IDOT) provides publicly available traffic count data for major roadways:

• Excellent: 25,000+ vehicles per day
• Good: 15,000-25,000 vehicles per day
• Acceptable: 8,000-15,000 vehicles per day
• Challenging: Below 8,000 without compensating factors

Site Characteristics

• Visibility: Clear sightlines; signage visible 200+ feet in advance
• Access: Easy right-turn-in from traffic; avoid difficult left-turn approaches
• Size: 0.75+ acres for IBA; 1.5-3+ acres for tunnel with stacking
• Corner lots: Two-sided visibility adds significant value
• Adjacent businesses: Gas stations and grocery stores create traffic synergies
• Utilities: Adequate water, electrical, and natural gas capacity

Demographics to Analyze

• Population density within 1, 3, and 5-mile radius
• Median household income
• Vehicle ownership rates
• Daytime population (commuters supplement residential base)

Competition Analysis

Map all competing car washes within 1-5 miles. Evaluate service quality, pricing and memberships, online reputation, and apparent volume at peak times.

Illinois Location Tips by Region

• Northwest suburbs: High-traffic arterials near Metra commuter corridors
• DuPage County: Suburban commercial corridors with affluent demographics
• Southwest suburbs: I-55/I-80 corridor sites for value-oriented express model
• Downstate: Main arterials near retail concentrations in Springfield, Peoria, Rockford