What Are the Biggest Junkyards in America? 

With more than $22 billion in the United States' salvage industry, plenty of large junkyards are always looking for acquiring more old junk vehicles. Although you might see the junk car as an eyesore, junkyard operators are always looking for these types of vehicles and believe it's a treasure! If you're looking for the Biggest junkyards in America, this article is for you! 

Some junkyards might only collect all vehicles and coordinate with other recycling facilities to scrap non-working components. On the other hand, specific junkyards can do the recycling part in-house and sell scrap metal immediately to interested companies. 

While there are many small junkyards in the United States that range from a couple of acres, there are plenty of larger ones that are well known and trusted.

This article walks you through the ten biggest junkyards in America. 

What is the junkyard? 

 

Junkyards, or what's known as wrecking yards, or scrapyards, are locations where companies or people diminish and through their old destroyed vehicles.

In junkyards, any operable part that is still perfectly working can be resold to people looking for parts replacements. On the other hand, all unusable parts can be scrapped into metal and be sold to metal recycling companies. 

Some junkyards, usually described as a scrap yard, have a recycling component within the junkyard itself. They can breakdown all metals and recycle them into functional components like Byron, steel, brass, copper, element, zinc, etc. 

Usually, scrapyards work under specific regulations, and they must be certified and working with a specific license turd  

The ten biggest junkyards in America 

• The French Lake auto parts in Minnesota 

Operating for more than half a century, The French Lake auto parts are located about 60 miles to Minneapolis's Westside.

This junkyard is huge and covers about 100 acres with more than 10,000 junk vehicles every day. 

In this junkyard, employees can recycle vehicles and look for operable components to sell them separately. On the other hand, they also recycle other non-restorable components that can be sold as scrap metal. 

The best thing about this junkyard is that you can find rare and old vehicles back to the 1920s from different makes and models. 

Thus, if you own an old vehicle and looking for a part look placement, the French Lake auto parts in Minnesota might be your best option. 

• Texas CTC auto ranch 

 

If you're living around Dallas and looking for some parts replacements from the 60s or 70s, the CTC auto ranch might be your best option!

This junkyard is in Denton, about one-hour North of Dallas in Texas. It is considered one of the most famous automobile recyclers in the nation.

The most important thing about the CTC auto ranch is that it's located in a very dry area, which means that most vehicles do not have rust and should be in a perfect restorable condition.

The CTC auto ranch has about 4000 vehicles in its daily inventory. Besides these restorable vehicle components, the junkyard also has options for selling sheet metals and other car parts. 

• Oregon's Wildcat auto wrecking 

 

The third junkyards on our list are located around Sandy in Oregon. The major focus of this junkyard is on Chrysler parts and vehicles.

Wildcat auto wrecking has more than 800 cars in their daily inventory, and a lot of their vehicles are restorable. It is the only “MoPar-specific Junkyard” in the Pacific Northwest.

This junkyard was featured now because the vehicles are rust-free and have old cars back to the 1950s and 70s.

You can find all part components looking for like bumpers, doors, glass, Motors, etc. 

• Arizona's all bikes salvage yard 

 

In Arizona, you can find the largest motorcycle salvage yard that has thousands of motorcycles. 

Unfortunately, this junkyard got on fire in June 2013, which destroyed more than 9000 of their motorcycles. Furthermore, the fire affected the junkyard itself; it also affected lots of mobile homes around it.

Luckily, all bikes salvage yard revived recently, and now it's better than before. 

• California's Turner's auto wrecking 

 

Featured in the Hot Rod magazine, this junkyard was established in 1928. The junkyard has a total area of 100 acres, including tons of scrap car parts for those interested in a junk car project.

If you're living around California and looking for a rare car part, Turner's auto wrecking might be your best option! 

• Arizona's Pinal Airpark 

 

The special thing about this junkyard is that it's made purposely for airplanes. If you look at it, don't expect to see damaged airplanes or airplane parts; it has many airplanes in perfect condition and can be back to service at some point.

These airplanes are there due to issues with financing. Most owners of these airplanes either do not have immediate use to these planes or fell through financing issues. 

Some of the airplanes you might see are the 747s airplanes that will go back to service. 

• Alabama's Steven's performance salvage yard

 

This huge salvage yard is located in Anderson, Alabama. It is the house of hundreds of vehicles for those interested in MoPar and junk cars projects. 

When visiting this junkyard, you will mostly see Dodge Challengers and Chargers, including models from the late 60s. 

Therefore, if you are looking for parts replacement for your old Dodge Charger, this salvage yard might be your best option.

• Georgia's old car city the USA

 

This junkyard is one of the most popular junkyards in the United States. It covers a total area of 34 acres and includes about 4,000 cars in their daily inventory.

Many high schoolers visit this salvage yard for session engagements and portraits. It has an amazing natural backdrop making one not see the old junk vehicles. 

When visiting this junkyard, you have options of six miles trails to enjoy and explore. You can also enjoy the plan photos taken by the owner of this junkyard.

• California's Mojave Air and Space Port

 

Many of us think of a junkyard as an eyesore place; however, this junkyard is one of the most attractive tourist places. You can enjoy the delight airliners parked in this junkyard.

The area is associated with many restaurants to enjoy as they are watching the old attractive spaceport pieces. 

• Pennsylvania's Corvair Ranch

 

The last biggest junkyards of America on our list is Pennsylvania's Corvair Ranch. If you are a Corvair-enthusiasts, this junkyard is the “heaven” for you!

In this junkyard, you can find many car makes and models. Most specifically, the junkyard is known for Corvair, with more than 600 on their daily inventory.

If you're interested in a car replacement for your Corvair, you can find anything you could think of, including full remanufactured engines, vehicles, painting, maintenance, upholstery, etc. 

What is the difference between a salvage yard and a scrap metal yard? 

 

Sometimes people confuse the terminology between salvage yards and scrap yards. While both might have some similarities, there is a slight difference between the two: 

• An auto salvage yard 

The auto salvage yard is almost the same as a junkyard or an auto recycling center, and sometimes people might refer to them as scrap yards.

In these yards, companies purchased unused or damaged vehicles to take advantage of every component of them. Once the vehicles are purchased, the salvage yard looks into workable components and sells them as car replacements parents. On the other hand, any damaged components can be recycled and broken down into parts.

In general, a salvage yard pays you much more than a metal scrap yard because they can take advantage of every component in your car other than only the middle components. 

• Metal scrap yard 

Metal scrap yards not only purchase metal from the auto industry; They also can buy metal from almost anyone. They purchased this metal in very large quantities. There are usually in tons.

Depending on the type of metal you have in your item, they can't evaluate it and check whether the metal is recyclable or not.

These yards mostly produce copper, aluminum, zinc, etc. They will look for this type of metal in your item and convert them into scrap metal that other companies could recycle end-use.

Therefore, metals club yards are usually interested in electrical wires, aluminum cars, appliances; it's such a. In most scenarios, scrapyards do not buy copper and aluminum in large quantities; They are usually bought in smaller quantities.

Once the copper and aluminum are purchased, they compress them together and sell them in a very large quantity at once.

The best thing about metal scrap yards is reducing the total landfill volumes, pollution, and carbon emissions. Thus, metal scrap yards are assisting the environment heavily. 

Junkyards FAQ 

 

In this section, we cover FAQs about junkyards related to the biggest junkyards in America or just general questions. 

• How much can I get from my truck at a junkyard? 

 

If you're wondering how much junkyards pay for cars, the price differs significantly depending on your car's type and condition.

In general, your vehicle could go somewhere between $250 and $500. Of course, the numbers are just rough estimates, and they depend on several factors.

In will scenarios, junkyards will pay more or heavier vehicles. For example, if you're selling a heavy large SUV, you will get much more money than selling a midsize to a small car. 

A lot of people might think that the more modern the vehicle is coming from a junkyard. While that might be the case to some extent, modern vehicles tend to be lighter and incorporate more plastic and other non-metal components. Thus, if you own are a relatively older vehicle with more metal, you might get much more money than selling a small size that is very modern. 

Keep in mind that if your vehicle has approval components, the situation can be slightly different. For example, if you own a more modern vehicle with some operable components and high demand for parts replacement in your area, you can get a decent amount of money for your car.

The other thing to keep in mind is the price of scrap metal.  The higher the scrap metal price, the more the junkyard is willing to pay you for your car. 

• Do salvage yards buy parts? 

 

In most scenarios, salvage yards and junkyards are more interested incomplete vehicles. You will get much more money when selling a whole car rather than trying to sell a car part to a junkyard.

When they purchase the whole car, they can make more money and take advantage of every single component in your car. 

• Do junkyards by cars without titles?

 

Your vehicle's title can be a very one of the most important components for selling your car to a junkyard. While many junkyards do not accept cars without titles, you might be lucky enough to find one.

It's very important to check with the junkyards and ask them whether they buy vehicles without titles. Those junkyards might have some information on their websites and skating whether they purchase vehicles without titles or not.

If they don't, you can reach out to them via phone call and check with them. 

Keep in mind that if you are the vehicle's legal owner, you can also obtain a title replacement from your local DMV office. Getting a title replacement can be straightforward, and all it takes is a small fee and additional paperwork to prove ownership. 

The biggest junkyards in America 

As you notice, there are many large junkyards in America that people don't only sell their cars for but also visit for tourism purposes.

 

The United States is filled with amazing places that are bigger than what you could imagine. Some of them are focused on specific types of car mix or models, while others are more focused on huge airplane parts.

Not everything that goes to the junkyard is an eyesore; some junkyards, for example, have approval airplanes waiting to flow back at some point.

You don't need to go to the Biggest junkyard in America to sell your car; there are many smaller ones you can also reach out to and get more information to get the top cash.

The biggest junkyards in America are great places for someone looking for specific vehicle parts or is interested in a junk car project.