Located near the geographic and population centers of the United States, the greater St. Louis region sits within 500 miles of one-third of the nation’s population. The region’s highly developed logistics infrastructure offers reliable and efficient connections — global businesses in St. Louis can easily manufacture and distribute products throughout the nation and the world.
A Multimodal Hub
Highway
The region’s network of highways is robust, including four interstates (I-44, I-55, I-64, I-70) and the Avenue of the Saints running between St. Louis and Minneapolis-St. Paul. These roadways make St. Louis one of the most accessible cities in the nation, so it’s not surprising that more than 1,000 truck transportation businesses operate in Greater St. Louis, employing almost 15,000 workers.
Air
St. Louis Lambert International Airport, the St. Louis region’s major airport, has 10 commercial air carriers with 70 non-stop destinations and features excellent access to Interstate 70, a Foreign-Trade Zone and U.S. Customs on site. On the other side of the Mississippi River and adjacent to Scott Air Force Base in Illinois, MidAmerica Airport accommodates scheduled passenger, freight, and military flights. Other regional corporate airports include St. Louis Downtown Airport, St. Louis Regional Airport and the Spirit of St. Louis Airport.
Water
The Mississippi, Missouri, and Illinois rivers all meet in the St. Louis region, creating a robust navigable waterway system. The region houses the nation’s second-largest inland water port by tonnage, the last lock and dam on the Mississippi River, and its northernmost ice-free year-round port.
Located in the City of St. Louis, the Port of Metropolitan St. Louis is served by all major barge lines and offers more than 100 docks and terminal facilities handling bulk commodities such as coal, grain, oil, and metals.
America’s Central Port in Granite City, Illinois, includes the River’s Edge Business Park, which offers 840 acres for distribution, warehousing, and manufacturing.
Rail
One of the largest rail hubs in the U.S., Greater St. Louis is served by AmTrak and all six Class I Railroads (BNSF, CN, CPKC, CSX, NS, UP) that connect to five local and short line railroads. St. Louis is one of the few gateway cities where rail traffic can transfer between and originate from both the eastern and western railroads as well as go to both Canada and Mexico.