William Lipovsky
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, and some fast food restaurants. Some online retailers also sell and deliver bagged ice.
Bagged ice typically costs between about $0.16 and $0.40 per pound and will likely come in cube form.
Below, we have more information about where to buy bagged ice, including information about available ice types and bag sizes.
How Much Is a Bag of Ice?
Bagged ice typically 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 sells for about $3 at Sam’s Club — or about $0.16 per pound.[2]
Prices can often vary between different store locations (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 ($0.25 to $0.40 per pound).[3]
Fast food restaurants that sell ice often offer the most competitive prices, sometimes selling a bag of ice for just $1 or $2. However, they have a less consistent supply than grocery stores. Restaurants are more often franchised, so not all locations will sell bagged ice.
Types of Bagged Ice
If you’re using bagged ice for consumption (e.g., in drinks), 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 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:[4]
- Arctic Glacier Ice
- Arctic Ice
- Cape Cod Ice Company
- Chesapeake Bay Ice
- Diamond Ice
- Good Time Ice
- Kwik Trip, Inc.
- Penguin Ice
- Reddy Ice
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 isn’t usually sold in bags because if it partially melts 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 select 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 |
| Sam’s 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 |
| Arby’s | Restaurant | Cubed | 10 lbs |
| Burger King | Restaurant | Cubed | 10 lbs |
| Chick-fil-A | Restaurant | Cubed | 5 lbs |
| Dairy Queen | Restaurant | Cubed | 8 lbs |
| Dunkin’ Donuts | Restaurant | Cubed | 10 lbs |
| McDonald’s | Restaurant | Cubed | 10 lbs |
| Sonic | Restaurant | "Nugget" Ice | 10 lbs |
| Steak ‘n Shake | Restaurant | Cubed | 10 lbs |
| Wendy's | Restaurant | Cubed | 8 lbs |
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.
The List
Grocery Stores
Albertsons
- Ice type: Cubed[5]
- Bag sizes: 10 pounds[5]
- Find a location
Food Lion
- Ice type: Cubed[6]
- Bag sizes: 10 pounds[6]
- Find a location
Publix
- Ice type: Cubed[7]
- Bag sizes: Five to 20 pounds[7]
- Find a location
Safeway
- Ice type: Cubed[8]
- Bag sizes: Seven to 20 pounds[8]
- Find a location
Sam’s Club
- Ice type: Cubed[9]
- Bag sizes: Six to 20 pounds[9]
- Find a location
Target
- Ice type: Cubed[10]
- Bag sizes: Three to 20 pounds[10]
- Find a location
Walmart
- Ice type: Cubed[1]
- Bag sizes: Three to 20 pounds[1]
- Find a location
Whole Foods Market
- Ice type: Cubed[11]
- Bag sizes: Seven to 10 pounds[11]
- Find a location
Gas Stations and Convenience Stores
Note: While it’s common to find ice at most gas stations and convenience stores, you may still want to call ahead to the location you’re visiting before making the trip. Bagged ice is often limited during the summer months and the holiday season due to demand.
7-Eleven
- Ice type: Cubed[12]
- Bag sizes: 10 to 20 pounds[12]
- Find a location
Chevron
- Ice type: Cubed[13]
- Bag sizes: 10 to 20 pounds[13]
- Find a location
Circle K
- Ice type: Cubed[14]
- Bag sizes: 10 to 20 pounds[14]
- Find a location
Cumberland Farms
- Ice type: Cubed and crushed[15]
- Bag sizes: Five to 20 pounds[15]
- Find a location
ExxonMobil
- Ice type: Cubed[16]
- Bag sizes: 10 to 20 pounds[16]
- Find a location
Kwik Trip
- Ice type: Cubed[17]
- Bag sizes: 10 to 20 pounds[17]
- Find a location
Sheetz
- Ice type: Cubed[18]
- Bag sizes: Five to 20 pounds[18]
- Find a location
Wawa
- Ice type: Cubed and crushed[19]
- Bag sizes: Five to 20 pounds[19]
- Find a location
Restaurants
Note: We contacted corporate customer service for the following restaurants and confirmed that they typically sell ice, but because fast food restaurants are usually franchises, we can’t guarantee that you’ll be able to buy bagged ice at every location. It’s always a good idea to call ahead to confirm that ice is available.
Arby’s
- Ice type: Cubed[20]
- Bag sizes: 10 pounds[20]
- Find a location
Burger King
- Ice type: Cubed[21]
- Bag sizes: 10 pounds[21]
- Find a location
Chick-fil-A
- Ice type: Cubed[22]
- Bag sizes: Five pounds (Available on Chick-fil-A’s catering menu)
- Find a location
Dairy Queen
- Ice type: Cubed[23]
- Bag sizes: Eight pounds[23]
- Find a location
Dunkin’
- Ice type: Cubed[24]
- Bag sizes: 10 pounds[24]
- Find a location
McDonald’s
- Ice type: Cubed;[25] see our dedicated research on buying ice from McDonald’s
- Bag sizes: 10 pounds[25]
- Find a location
Sonic Drive-In
- Ice type: Sonic’s famous “nugget” ice;[26] find out more in our article on buying Sonic ice.
- Bag sizes: 10 pounds[26]
- Find a location
Steak ‘n Shake
- Ice type: Cubed[27]
- Bag sizes: 10 pounds[27]
- Find a location
Wendy’s
- Ice type: Cubed[28]
- Bag sizes: Eight pounds[28]
- Find a location
Large Deliveries
If you need a large delivery of ice, plenty of local and regional companies can accommodate you.
However, because delivery comes in the form of refrigerated trucks, you’ll need to find one located close to you. You can use the IPIA’s interactive map 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, you usually can’t 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.
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.