Transportation & Logistics Services

Transportation and Logistics Services has experienced incredibly high growth across Northwest Florida. Significant infrastructure enhancements within the region and overseas combined with increasing congestion in competing regions and positive growth forecasts place this cluster in a strong position to lead the region's growth and development.

Northwest Florida has a well-established infrastructure. The southeastern U.S. Sunbelt is the fastest growing region in the nation. Regardless of what products need to be transported, Northwest Florida is strategically located to serve growth markets of the eastern U.S. in just one day, including Atlanta, south and central Florida, and the Gulf Coast. The region is home to four commercial airports, 14 public airports and two deep-water ports, both of which are designated Foreign Trade Zones. Interstate 10, Northwest Florida’s main east-west connector, spans the entire region. A network of highways, rail lines and shipping lines, including the Intracoastal Waterway that provides navigable inland waterways spanning the Gulf Coast, are an integral part of the infrastructure, allowing businesses to move goods quickly and efficiently within our region and beyond.

Synergies in the central part of the region leave little doubt that international trade will continue to increase exponentially during the next few years. Port Panama City, with its six deep water ports, Foreign Trade Zone status and 200-acre Intermodal Distribution Center, is a significant asset in Northwest Florida. A 65-mile short-line railroad begins at the Panama City Port and provides access to two major rail companies. These transportation advantages coupled with the construction of a new Panama City-Bay County International airport, which is being constructed on 4,000 acres with operations expected in 2010, make Northwest Florida an ideal hub for international activity.

In the 21st Century, telecommunication systems digitally move products and services at light speed. Northwest Florida stands ready to move not only physical product, but also electronic data for businesses such as call centers and electronic or mail order houses. Northwest Florida’s telecommunication infrastructure hosts the newest systems including the Florida LambdaRail, a high-bandwidth optical fiber network that links Florida’s research institutions and provides a next-generation network to support large-scale research, education outreach, public/private partnerships, and information technology infrastructure essential to Northwest Florida’s economic development.

Please click here to view an interactive map of Northwest Florida.