Transportation
Because the City of Cincinnati is located within 600 miles or 1 day's travel time of 30 major metro markets, the City has a pivotal connection to the global economy. Cincinnati affords businesses access to the world via all major forms of transportation
Port of Cincinnati Commerce
Grand Total | Receipts | Shipments | Intraport | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Total, all commodities | 11,768 | 9,132 | 2,631 | 5.1 |
Coal | 4,247 | 4,242 | 5.0 | - |
Petroleum and petroleum products | 1,837 | 1,579 | 255 | 3.6 |
Chemicals and related products | 1,327 | 1,311 | 15.4 | - |
Crude materials, inedible except fuels | 2,186 | 1,650 | 535 | 1.6 |
Primary manufactured goods | 350 | 333 | 16.6 | - |
Food and farm products | 1,821 | 16.2 | 1,806 | - |
All manufactured equipment, machinery and products | 1,011 | 1,011 | - | - |
Source: U.S. Army Corp of Engineers Waterborne Commerce Data Center
Freight Traffic, 2009 (thousand short tons)
Exports by Country
2009 Export Value | |
---|---|
Canada | $3,538,186,040 |
Mexico | $1,863,181,699 |
Brazil | $1,311,941,623 |
United Kingdom | $1,244,433,472 |
Other | $7,530,930,765 |
Source: International Trade Administration
Cincinnati USA Metro Exports Value (2009): $15,488,673,599
Interstate
All major markets are easily reached from Cincinnati USA via interstate; 20 major metro areas within 400 miles (644 km) are served by one-day truck driving time and 30 additional markets by second-day service.
- More than 900 interstate common motor frieght carriers service the region.
- Over 380 general freight trucking establishments, of which 255 are long distance hauler, are located in the Cincinnati MSA.
- More than 290 specialized freight trucking establishments in the Cincinnati MSA
- 44 Freight Forwarders
Cincinnati has 5 interstates that connect the region to the U.S.:
- I-71, Louisville to Cleveland
- I-75, Miami to Ontario, Canada
- I-74, Davenport, Iowa to Cincinnati
- I-471 and I-275 serve the regional market
Railroad
Cincinnati USA is a vital gateway both north/south and east/west. Four major railroad systems serve the region including:
Amtrak, CSX, Conrail, and Norfolk Southern
The Indiana and Ohio RR/RY serves Southeast Indiana and Southwest Ohio.
There are more than 175 miles of mainline trackage serving local industry
The Chessie System's Queensgate computerized yard is one of the most modern and efficient facilities serving the U.S.
CSX and Norfolk Southern provide long-haul freight service through the region. Both railroads have major classification and intermodal yards in Cincinnati. Rail America provides regional freight service while Amtrak provides passenger service to Chicago, Indianapolis, Washington, and New York.
Ohio River Traffic
Source: U.S. Army Corp of Engineers Waterborne Commerce Data Center
Ohio River System Port Commerce
Total | |||
---|---|---|---|
Huntington, WV (Tristate) | 69.3 | ||
Pittsburgh, PA | 41.8 | ||
Cincinnati, OH | 13.4 | ||
Louisville, KY | 7.4 | ||
Nashville, TN | 3.3 | ||
Chattanooga, TN | 2.2 |
Source: U.S. Army Corp of Engineers Waterborne Commerce Data Center
2008 Freight Tonnage In Millions. Amounts are rounded to nearest 100,000 tons.
U.S. Army Corp of Engineers Waterborne Commerce Data Center
Airport
The Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) is located 15 minutes south of Downtown Cincinnati and is a hub for Delta Airlines. CVG has daily, non-stop service to more than 60 destinations, including service to the top 50 business centers in the United States. CVG also offers daily, non-stop service to Toronto and Paris. In addition to CVG, Cincinnati operates Lunken Airport (LUK), a general aviation airport providing services to corporate and personal aircraft.
Air Courier Services
Major Market Commuting Times to Work
Population (2008 est.) | Average commuting time(min.) | Rank | |
---|---|---|---|
Rochester, NY | 1,033,155 | 20.37 | 1 |
Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI | 1,550,451 | 22.16 | 5 |
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC | 1,670,225 | 23.43 | 10 |
Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN | 2,158,643 | 23.75 | 12 |
Indianapolis-Carmel, IN | 1,720,796 | 23.93 | 15 |
Las Vegas-Paradise, NV | 1,879,093 | 24.66 | 20 |
Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord, NC-SC | 1,706,469 | 25.11 | 25 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau's 2006-2008 American Community Survey
Passenger Rail Service
The Ohio Rail Development Commission is working to plan and build the “3C” passenger rail line, which will provide service from Cincinnati to Dayton, Columbus, and Cleveland. Amtrak estimates that the 3C line will serve more than 478,000 riders in its first year of operation, making it the 12th largest passenger generator in the nation. In late January, the federal government announced that it is providing $400 million in funding for the project through the American Relief and Recovery Act, which is nearly the entire cost. To learn more, visit the Ohio Department of Transportation page.
Transportation Services Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
2008 Annual Average | 2007 Annual Average | % Change | |
---|---|---|---|
Passengers | 13,630,443 | 15,736,220 | -13.29 |
Air Freight (tons) | 19,805 | 18,995 | 4.26 |
Source: Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
Mileage to Other Major Cities
Miles | Kilometers | |
---|---|---|
Atlanta | 440 | 708 |
Baltimore, MD | 442 | 682 |
Charlotte, NC | 339 | 546 |
Chicago, IL | 287 | 462 |
Cleveland, OH | 244 | 393 |
Columbus, OH | 100 | 161 |
Detroit, MI | 269 | 432 |
Indianapolis, IN | 110 | 177 |
Kansas City, MO | 591 | 951 |
Lexington, KY | 78 | 126 |
Louisville, KY | 102 | 164 |
Memphis, TN | 468 | 753 |
Milwaukee, WI | 374 | 602 |
Nashville, TN | 269 | 433 |
Philadelphia, PA | 567 | 912 |
Pittsburgh, PA | 295 | 475 |
Raleigh, NC | 534 | 859 |
St. Louis, MO | 340 | 547 |
Toledo, OH | 200 | 322 |
Virginia Beach, VA | 491 | 790 |
Washington, D.C | 480 | 772 |
Calculating distances between cities:
http://www.indo.com/distance/
http://www.geobytes.com/CityDistanceTool.htm
Means of Transportation to Work
Total | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Drive alone | 69.6% | ||||
Carpooled | 10.4% | ||||
Public transportation (excluding taxicab) | 10.6% | ||||
Walked | 3.5% | ||||
Bicycle | 0.5% | ||||
Taxicab, motorcycle, or other means | 1.1% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2008 American Community Survey
135,445 total workers 16 years and over in Cincinnati
Place of work
Total | |
---|---|
Worked in state of residence | 93.9% |
Worked in county of residence | 85.9% |
Worked outside county of residence | 8.0% |
Worked outside state of residence | 6.1% |

Source: Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2008 American Community Survey
Port Facilities
The Port of Cincinnati is the 5th largest inland port; 52.3 million tons pass annually through Cincinnati and the Ohio River.
Source: Cincinnati USA Partnership
Public Transportation
The Metro bus system links downtown with the surrounding suburbs of Cincinnati while TANK links downtown with northern Kentucky.