Short Answer: When you need a bag or two of ice, there are plenty of places where you can get one, including your local grocery store, most major gas stations and convenience stores, as well as fast food restaurants. There are also some online retailers that sell and delier bagged ice. Bagged ice typically costs between about $0.16 and $0.40 per pound, and will likely come in cube form. Below, we hae more information about where to buy bagged ice, including information about available ice types and bag sizes.
Table of Contents
How Much Is a Bag of Ice?
Bagged icetypically sells for between $0.16 and $0.40 per pound. For example, a 20-pound bag of ice at Walmart costs about $4 (or about $0.20 per pound).[1] A 20-pound bag of the same ice sells for about $3 at Sam’s Club — that’s just $0.16 per pound.[2] ShopRite prices rival Walmart’s prices, with a seven-pound bag of ice costing about $0.30 per pound. Prices can often vary between different locations of the same store (since ice is in higher demand during certain seasons and in certain areas). At 7-Eleven, for example, a 10-pound bag of ice can sell for between $2.50 and $4. That’s $0.25 to $0.40 per pound.
Fast food restaurants that sell ice often offer the most competitive prices, sometimes selling a bag of ice for just $1 or $2. But, they’ll have more inconsistent supplies than grocery stores. Restaurants are more often franchised, so not all locations will sell ice, and those that do might not always have it in stock because their focus is meals, not ice.
Types of Bagged Ice
If you are using bagged ice for consumption, make sure the bag is marked with the International Packaged Ice Association (IPIA) seal — a guarantee that the product has met the IPIA’s strict quality and safety policy.
Ice can become contaminated with bacteria and viruses, so it is important to only choose bags of ice that have the IPIA seal and are sealed to prevent contamination. Bags of ice made and bagged in convenience stores and other locations may have come in contact with unsanitary conditions and shouldn’t be used in beverages.
Some of the biggest IPIA-member bagged ice companies include:
- Arctic Glacier Ice
- Arctic Ice
- Cape Cod Ice Company
- Chesapeake Bay Ice
- Diamond Ice
- Good Time Ice
- Kwik Trip, Inc.
- Penguin Ice
- Reddy Ice
See the full list of bagged ice companies approved by the IPIA.
Bagged ice is almost always sold as ice cubes. You may also find “cocktail” ice, which usually means smaller cubes, ideal for cold beverages and cocktails. Expect to pay slightly more for this type of ice. Crushed ice is not usually sold in bags because if it melts slightly and refreezes, it turns into a block of ice. However, there are a few places that sell it (as noted below).
Comparison Table
See the table below for a quick comparison of the places that sell bagged ice, including information about available ice types and bag sizes, then click any store or scroll for more information.
Store | Store Type | Ice Type(s) | Bag Sizes |
---|---|---|---|
Albertsons | Grocery | Cubed/crushed | 7 to 20 lbs |
Food Lion | Grocery | Cubed | 10 lbs |
Publix | Grocery | Cubed | 5 to 20 lbs |
Safeway | Grocery | Cubed | 7 to 20 lbs |
Samās Club | Grocery | Cubed | 6 to 20 lbs |
Target | Grocery | Cubed | 3 to 20 lbs |
Walmart | Grocery | Cubed | 3 to 20 lbs |
Whole Foods | Grocery | Cubed | 7 to 10 lbs |
7-Eleven | Gas station/convenience Store | Cubed | 10 to 20 lbs |
Chevron | Gas station/convenience Store | Cubed | 10 to 20 lbs |
Circle K | Gas station/convenience Store | Cubed | 10 to 20 lbs |
Cumberland Farms | Gas station/convenience Store | Cubed/crushed | 5 to 20 lbs |
ExxonMobil | Gas station/convenience Store | Cubed | 10 to 20 lbs |
Kwik Trip | Gas station/convenience Store | Cubed | 10 to 20 lbs |
Sheetz | Gas station/convenience Store | Cubed | 5 to 20 lbs |
Wawa | Gas station/convenience Store | Cubed/crushed | 5 to 20 lbs |
Arbyās | Restaurant | Cubed | 10 lbs |
Burger King | Restaurant | Cubed | 10 lbs |
Chick-fil-A | Restaurant | Cubed | 5 lbs |
Dairy Queen | Restaurant | Cubed | 8 lbs |
Dunkinā Donuts | Restaurant | Cubed | 10 lbs |
McDonaldās | Restaurant | Cubed | 10 lbs |
Sonic | Restaurant | "Nugget" Ice | 10 lbs |
Steak ān Shake | Restaurant | Cubed | 10 lbs |
Wendy's | Restaurant | Cubed | 8 lbs |
Places That Sell Bagged Ice In-Store
Your best bet for snagging a bag of ice will usually be your local grocery store or gas station/convenience store. We confirmed that the following national/regional grocery stores sell bagged ice. You may also have luck finding bagged ice at your small, neighborhood grocery store.
Grocery Stores
Albertsons
- Ice type: Cubed[3]
- Bag sizes: 10 pounds[3]
- Find an Albertsons
Food Lion
- Ice type: Cubed[4]
- Bag sizes:Ā 10 pounds[4]
- Find a Food Lion
Publix
- Ice type: Cubed[5]
- Bag sizes: Five to 20 pounds[5]
- Find a Publix
Safeway
- Ice type: Cubed[6]
- Bag sizes: Seven to 20 pounds[6]
- Find a Safeway
Sam’s Club
- Ice type: Cubed[7]
- Bag sizes: Six to 20 pounds[7]
- Find a Sam’s Club
Target
- Ice type: Cubed[8]
- Bag sizes: Three to 20 pounds[8]
- Find a Target
Walmart
- Ice type: Cubed[9]
- Bag sizes: Three to 20 pounds[9]
- Find a Walmart
Whole Foods Market
- Ice type: Cubed[10]
- Bag sizes: Seven to 10 pounds[10]
- Find a Whole Foods
Gas Stations and Convenience Stores
Most major gas station nd convenience store chains carry bagged ice. However, you may still want to call ahead to be sure before making the trip. Bagged ice is often limited during the summer months and the holiday season.
7-Eleven
- Ice type: Cubed[11]
- Bag sizes: 10 to 20 pounds[11]
- Find a 7-Eleven
Chevron
- Ice type: Cubed[12]
- Bag sizes: 10 to 20 pounds[12]
- Find a Chevron
Circle K
- Ice type: Cubed[13]
- Bag sizes: 10 to 20 pounds[13]
- Find a Circle K
Cumberland Farms
- Ice type: Cubed and crushed[14]
- Bag sizes: Five to 20 pounds[14]
- Find a Cumberland Farms
ExxonMobil
- Ice type: Cubed[15]
- Bag sizes: 10 to 20 pounds[15]
- Find an ExxonMobil
Kwik Trip
- Ice type: Cubed[16]
- Bag sizes: 10 to 20 pounds[16]
- Find a Kwik Trip
Sheetz
- Ice type: Cubed[17]
- Bag sizes: Five to 20 pounds[17]
- Find a Sheetz
Wawa
- Ice type: Cubed and crushed[18]
- Bag sizes: Five to 20 pounds[18]
- Find a Wawa
Restaurants
There are plenty of restaurants (usually fast food establishments) that sell ice to accommodate customers on the go. We contacted corporate customer service for the following restaurants and confirmed that they typically sell ice, but because fast food restaurants are usually independently owned franchises, we can’t guarantee that the following restaurants will always carry the bagged ice you’re looking for. It’s always a good idea to call ahead to confirm if the restaurant you’re headed to sells bagged ice.
Arby’s
- Ice type: Cubed[19]
- Bag sizes: 10 pounds[19]
- Find an Arby’s
Burger King
- Ice type: Cubed[20]
- Bag sizes: 10 pounds[20]
- Find a Burger King
Chick-fil-A
- Ice type: Cubed[21]
- Bag sizes: Five pounds (Available on Chick-fil-A’s catering menu)
- Find a Chick-fil-A
Dairy Queen
- Ice type: Cubed[22]
- Bag sizes: Eight pounds[22]
- Find a Dairy Queen
Dunkin’
- Ice type: Cubed[23]
- Bag sizes: 10 pounds[23]
- Find a Dunkin’
McDonald’s
- Ice type: Cubed[24]
- Bag sizes: 10 pounds[25]
- Find a McDonald’s
See more in our article on buying ice from McDonald’s.
Sonic
- Ice type: Sonic’s famous “nugget” ice[26]
- Bag sizes: 10 pounds[26]
- Find a Sonic
Find out more in our article on buying Sonic’s famous nugget ice.
Steak ‘n Shake
- Ice type: Cubed[27]
- Bag sizes: 10 pounds[27]
- Find a Steak ‘n Shake
Wendy’s
- Ice type: Cubed[28]
- Bag sizes: Eight pounds[28]
- Find a Wendy’s
Places That Sell Bagged Ice Online
Ice Companies
If you need a large delivery of ice, there are plenty of local and regional companies that can accommodate you. However, because delivery comes in the form of refrigerated trucks, you will need to find one located close to you. You can use this interactive mapĀ to find an ice company near you.
Online ice companies sell almost exclusively to establishments that require large quantities of ice. This means if you need a bag or two, it is unlikely that youāll be able to order it through an ice company. For example, Arctic Ice takes online orders but requires a minimum order of at least 75 seven-pound bags, 75 11-pound bags, or 25 20-pound bags.
Grocery Stores
Most grocery stores carry ice, and many deliver groceries, too. Check with local grocery stores that deliver in your area — most that deliver will also deliver ice.
There are two ways grocery stores go about delivering. Some have their own delivery service, and some use a third-party delivery service. Popular third-party delivery servicesĀ include Instacart and Peapod. With these apps, you can sign up and order groceries from several different stores, all through the same platform. Major grocery stores with their own delivery services include Albertsons, Costco, Safeway, and others.
If you anticipate needing ice on a consistent basis, you may want to check out our article on where to go if you need access to an ice machine.
It is Sonic i just bought a 10pound bag for 3.20 crushed ice
Do all sonic sell crushed ice
Hi there,
Since SONIC locations are all individual franchises, store owner have some flexibility in setting their own policies. This mean that not all SONICs necessarily sell crushed ice, although it doesn’t hurt to ask! Chances are, your local SONIC probably does sell crushed ice.
hi,I live in Tauranga area,i have a function coming up and looking for big bags of ice,just wanting to know if their is a place here that sells them please
Unfortunately, due to the volume of comments we receive, we aren’t able to take individual requests.
Sonic,and i believe Publixs does also
Thank you for the suggestion! We have updated the article to reflect Publix.