Transportation & LogisticsPottawattamie County is strategically located in the center of the United States within the Omaha-Council Bluffs MSA. With access to transcontinental interstates, rail, air and barge service, the area has a leading edge logistics advantage.
Interstates/Highways Interstate 80, a primary east coast-to-west coast artery, and Interstate 29, a major NAFTA route, connect in Pottawattamie County. The area is also served by two border-to-border U.S. highways. U.S. 6 is an east-west route (Bishop, California to Provincetown, Massachusetts) and U.S. 59 is a north-south route (Lancaster, Minnesota to Laredo, Texas). These major U.S. transportation corridors enable businesses to reach most national markets within one to two days by truck
City |
Distance (miles) |
Days by Truck |
| Atlanta |
980 |
2 |
| Chicago |
432 |
1 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth |
696 |
1 |
| Denver |
564 |
1 |
| Des Moines |
104 |
1 |
| Kansas City |
179 |
1 |
| Los Angeles |
1,587 |
3 |
| Minneapolis |
338 |
1 |
| New Orleans |
996 |
2 |
| New York |
1,222 |
2 |
| Omaha |
30 |
1 |
| St. Louis |
468 |
1 |
 “The proximity of I-80 and other major highways was key to locating our new site in Shelby Iowa. We already had a qualified labor pool in the area so being able to find a location for our new site was very important. We appreciated the excellent assistance we received from Western Iowa Development Association in presenting several location options that met our site criteria.” Joseph Deluca, Con-Way Freight ServicesNearly 100 freight carriers serve the area including Con-Way located near Shelby, Iowa.
RailThe area is well served by rail.
The BNSF, a Class I railroad, serves the area. The BNSF is among the largest railroads in the U.S. with track mileage totaling over 32,000 miles covering 29 states and two Canadian provinces.
  also serves the area. The IAIS is a Class II railroad operating over 500 miles between Omaha and Chicago and provides connections to all Class I carriers at various points on its line enabling its customers to ship goods to/from anywhere in North America.
Also serving the area in nearby Omaha-Council Bluffs metro are the Union Pacific and the Canadian National Railroad.
Intermodal service is available within the metro.
Air Eppley Airfield in Omaha provides access to commercial air passenger and air freight services including a foreign trade zone and customs services.
For small, private aircraft, the Council Bluffs Municipal Airport has a 4,100 ft. x 75 ft., hard-surfaced runway.
BargeThree barge terminals are located in Council Bluffs along the Missouri River. Waterway transportation is available, generally, from March through November.
|