Transportation
Indiana ranks high nationally when it comes to logistics, including 1st in interstates, 2nd in world's largest FedEx air hub, 4th in total freight railroads, and 4th in first class railroads. For all of Indiana's logistics rankings see our
Accolades page.
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Business in the northeastern Indiana region have a one-day drive to more than one-fifth of the U.S. population and one-fifth of the Canadian population. Our rail lines, which include CSX and Norfolk Southern, provide access to the nation. More than 100 trucking companies serve northeast Indiana businesses using two major interstates, 7 U.S. highways, and over 20 state roads that cross northeast Indiana. The Fort Wayne International Airport, which hosts an air strip so long that the space shuttle can safely land, provides schedule flights to major Midwestern and Southern cities. Most cities and towns in northeastern Indiana are within 120 miles of either the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor on Lake Michigan or the Port of Toledo on Lake Erie. |
More than half of the continental United States is within a 2-day drive of northeast Indiana, and approximately 50 percent of all U.S. markets are within a one-day drive.
More than 100 trucking companies, including Sirva (Allied) and bimodal Triple Crown serve northeast Indiana, make good use of the two major interstates, 11 U.S. highways, and over twenty state roads that cross the area. Due to the region's access to the U.S. interstates and major state roads, as well as an available workforce, this area is also home to many distribution centers, such as Wal-Mart, Courier, Dollar General, Vera Bradley, and many more.
Northeast Indiana is served by two class I freight railroads, CSX and Norfolk Southern, and numerous class III lines such as the Chicago, Fort Wayne, and Eastern (Rail America) and the Indiana Northeastern Railroad. Norfolk Southern and CSX serve over 42,000 miles of track in over 20 states and part of Canada.
Fort Wayne is headquarters to Triple Crown, an affiliate with Norfolk Southern Corporation which provides bimodal, truckload transportation services throughout the eastern two-thirds of the United States and to areas of Canada.
Serving almost 600,000 passengers in 2008, the
Fort Wayne International Airport is currently home to six major carriers such as Northwest, Delta, American, and Allegiant Air. There are 33 non-stop departures to Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth, Tampa, and other major cities. There are also seven general aviation or regional airports in northeast Indiana, and all but one have 1 runway which exceeds 4,400 feet.
| Airport Information |
| Airport |
County |
Runway Length |
| Fort Wayne International Airport |
Allen |
12,000 ft., 8,001 ft., 4001 ft. |
| Smith Field Airport |
Allen |
3,110 ft., 2,910 ft. |
| DeKalb County Airport |
DeKalb |
5,000 ft. |
| Huntington Municipal Airport |
Huntington |
5,001 ft. |
| Kendallville Municipal Airport |
Noble |
4,400 ft. |
| Tri-State Steuben County Airport |
Steuben |
4,540 ft. |
| Wabash Municipal Airport |
Wabash |
4,401 ft., 1,938 ft. |
Air Business: Air cargo service exceeded 7,500 tons departing from Fort Wayne International in 2008.
Foreign Trade Zone #182 is a general purpose zone on 485 acres. In addition, the Kelly Commerce Aero Centre at FWA is comprised of 110 acres of light industrial space and is part of Indiana's Shovel Ready Program.
Within a 2 to 3 hours truck or rail ride, the
Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor on Lake Michigan and the
Port of Toledo on Lake Erie provide access to the Saint Lawrence Seaway. Both ports have an experienced work force and the facilities needed to deal with all types of bulk, break bulk, project cargo, and containers.