What Happened To Hess Gas Stations?

If you live on the East Coast or Southeast Coast, you probably remember Hess gas stations. At one point, there were over 1,400 Hess stations, constituting the largest chain of company-operated gas stations on the East Coast. However, that changed in 2014, when Marathon Petroleum Corporation purchased Hess Corporation for $2.6 billion, including all retail locations as well as transport and shipper operations. By 2016, every Hess gas station had disappeared and been converted to a Speedway. 

At the time of the deal, Speedway was a subsidiary of Marathon Petroleum Corporation, although it later sold the Speedway brand to Seven & i Holdings in 2021. With the addition of the Hess locations, Speedway became the second-largest convenience store chain in the United States at that point, with 2,770 stores across 22 states. This put an end to the long-standing Hess brand gas stations, which first opened in 1960. A few years after Hess sold its retail division, Chevron announced in 2023 that it was acquiring Hess Corporation for $53 billion, completing the deal in 2025. However, Hess is still around — in a different way.

While the Hess Corporation no longer has gas stations, the name is living on through its iconic toy trucks. These trucks have their origins with founder Leon Hess, who grew up during the Great Depression and began delivering fuel oil in a 615-gallon truck he bought secondhand because he couldn't afford college. His delivery business was a success, and he purchased five more trucks in 1937, switching some vehicles to residual fuel oil. 

In 1964, Hess decided he would sell a toy truck at his gas station retail locations for visiting families. The Hess Toy Truck, which featured working head- and taillights, plus a fillable cargo tank, became a popular holiday present at the time. Despite the disappearance of Hess gas stations in the mid-2010s, Hess has continued to sell its iconic trucks and other toys, albeit via an online storefront. The truck is still available today, with a plush version made available in 2026. So, while we don't know whether Hess would rank as one of the best gas stations in 2026, we can at least still buy its iconic toy truck.