Wells Fargo Bank

Wells Fargo Bank is the main banking subsidiary of Wells Fargo & Company and is one of the largest full-service banks in the United States. It provides everyday banking for consumers and small businesses, along with commercial and corporate banking, wealth management, investment services, and home lending. The bank serves a broad mix of customers, from individual retail clients to major institutions, through a national branch network, extensive ATM coverage, and a large digital banking platform.

The company’s origins go back to 1852, when Henry Wells and William G. Fargo started Wells Fargo & Co. to support the California Gold Rush economy with express delivery and banking services connecting the East Coast and the growing West. Over time, the business expanded from stagecoach express and gold transport into a wider range of financial services, eventually combining with other banks through a long series of mergers. A key milestone in its modern history was the buildout of a true coast-to-coast footprint following major bank combinations in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, which transformed what had been a western-focused institution into a national retail and commercial bank.

As of January 2018, Wells Fargo operated approximately 8,050 locations across the United States, giving it one of the largest physical branch networks in the country. Those locations ranged from traditional full-service branches to smaller in-line and in-store formats and specialty offices focused on wealth or commercial relationships. Its real estate presence also includes regional offices, operations centers, and corporate hubs that support lending, advisory, and back-office functions.

Over roughly the past five years, Wells Fargo has shifted from aggressive branch expansion to a more selective and data-driven approach to its footprint. The bank has been closing or consolidating some legacy branches while reinvesting in higher-performing sites and corridors. It has placed particular emphasis on modernizing existing branches, testing and rolling out more digital-forward layouts, and tailoring formats to dense urban neighborhoods and strong suburban trade areas where in-person advice still complements heavy online and mobile usage. Rather than broad new market entry, recent growth has focused on deepening in core metro markets and high-growth suburban corridors, along with selective new locations and relocations where customer density and multi-channel engagement are strongest.

For landlords, brokers, and developers, Wells Fargo functions as a large, creditworthy anchor that typically commits to visible, high-traffic corners and established retail or mixed-use nodes. Its branch network spans urban cores, established neighborhoods, and regional retail corridors, and the bank’s current strategy favors well-situated sites that support advisory-driven visits, strong signage, and consistent daily traffic. At the same time, its ongoing branch optimization program means the company is an active portfolio manager, regularly evaluating where to upgrade, relocate, consolidate, or introduce new concepts to align the physical network with long-term customer behavior.