LOCATION & INFRASTRUCTURE

Production is the first step. The next step — getting your products to your customers. When you bring your business to Ottawa County, whether you’re a small, medium or large business, you’ll have access to major cities and Canada by road, rail, air…even water.

Business by Land

Ottawa County has a robust highway system covering some 150 lane miles. These highways systems provide direct linkage to other major east/west and north/south interstate corridors. A series of well-maintained state routes (2, 19, 51, 53, 105, 163, 269, and 590) serve as connector roadways to residents and businesses located in rural areas.

Road Type / Mileage

State Highways (Rural) / 131.42 miles

State Highways (Municipal) / 13.72 miles

County Highways / 161.45 miles

Township Highways / 309.43 miles

City and Village / 67.48 miles

Ottawa County Maps

Distance in driving miles from Ottawa County, Ohio to selected major cities:

Toledo, OH – 15.2 miles
Detroit, MI – 70.8 miles
Cleveland, OH – 73.3 miles
Akron, OH – 98.7 miles
Columbus, OH – 118 miles
Pittsburgh, PA – 195 miles
Cincinnati, OH – 210 miles
Indianapolis, IN – 227 miles
Chicago, IL – 250 miles
Louisville, KY – 299 miles
Washington, DC – 433 miles
Nashville, TN – 472 miles
Philadelphia, PA – 494 miles
New York, NY – 524 miles
Charlotte, NC – 543 miles
Atlanta, GA – 661 miles

Business by Air

As the largest airport between Cleveland and Toledo, the Erie-Ottawa International Airport is popular with all types of pilots. With its 5,000 ft./ 4,000 ft. crossing runways, the airport can accommodate virtually any type of aircraft from private planes to large business jets. Located in the heart of Ohio’s vacationland, the Erie-Ottawa International Airport is 3.5 miles east of Port Clinton, OH, and only minutes away from popular activities such as fishing, golf, amusement parks, wineries and the Lake Erie islands.

LOCAL

Middle Bass Island Airport is owned by the Put-in-Bay Township Port Authority. The airport has one asphalt paved runway (10/28) measuring 1,852 x 75 feet. (564 x 23 meters).

North Bass Island Airport is owned by the Put-in-Bay Township Port Authority. The airport covers an area of 33 acres which contains one runway designated 01/19 with a 1,804 x 60 foot (550 x 18 meters) asphalt pavement.

Put-in-Bay Airport is located in the center of the southern half of the island and offers 2 runways. Runways at the airport are modern and paved but not lighted so there are no departures after dusk.

REGIONAL

Cleveland Hopkins International Airport is the primary airport serving Northeast Ohio and is the largest and busiest airport in the state of Ohio.  The airport covers 1402 acres and has three runways.

Detroit Metropolitan Airport is a major international airport in the United States covering 4,850 acres. This is Michigan’s busiest airport, and one of the largest air transportation hubs in the country.

Seneca County Airport is a county-owned public-use airport located 2 miles (3.2 km) southwest of the central business district of Tiffin, Ohio. The airport has one runway designated 6/24 with a 4000 x 75 ft asphault pavement.

Toledo Express Airport is used by passenger and cargo airlines, general aviation, and is home to the Ohio Air National Guard’s 180th Fighter Wing. The airport is near the crossing of State Route 2 and Interstate 80/90 (Ohio Turnpike Exit 52).

Business by Water

Lake Erie supports many  industries throughout northern Ohio. The water, provided by Lake Erie, used for waterborne commerce, navigation, manufacturing, and power production has led to intensive industrial development along its shore. In Ottawa County, industries use Lake Erie water in a variety of ways, including nuclear power generation, aerospace and biotechnology manufacturing, and as a cost-effective cooling mechanism for large equipment. Almost all manufacturing requires water in some capacity, with it being a critical component in some industries. Access to a high quality water resource can create an economic advantage to areas near the lake. Lake Erie is also the warmest and most biologically productive of the Great Lakes. Ensuring a healthy lake is a huge advantage to our economy.

Port of Cleveland on Lake Erie is 82 miles from Ottawa County. It has the best heavy lift capacity on the Great Lakes. Port facilities include nine berths and 6,500 linear feet of dock space. Docks are maintained at a full seaway depth, which is 27 feet. The docks have excellent connections to three major interstates (I-71, I-77, I-90), as well as the Norfolk Southern and CSX railroad. The Port’s Cleveland Bulk Terminal handles raw materials that arrive by ship from other Great Lakes ports and travel up river on smaller vessels to companies dependent on all-water transit. Four terminal operators use port facilities: Oglebay-Norton, Essroc, Kenmore Construction, Federal Marine Terminals. It is a gateway to major Midwest markets including Cincinnati, Columbus, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis and Chicago.

Port of Toledo, located at the confluence of the Maumee River and Lake Erie, links producers and consumer to domestic and international markets. With nearly 7 miles of seaway draft waterfront and integrated access to rail, trucking, and air transport, the Port of Toledo is one of the busiest and most diverse transportation centers on the Great Lakes. The Port of Toledo’s Overseas Cargo Center provides 150 acres of ample warehouse and open storage along nearly 1 mile of straight-line wharf. Ships from throughout the world discharge and load the most diverse cargos of all the Great Lakes ports. Midwest Terminals, located at the Port of Toledo, is a full-service cargo facility: marine, rail and truck transportation modes; commodities handling; cranes with up to 84 MT of lift capacity; and located in Foreign Trade Zone #8.

Business by Rail

Intermodal transportation is one of the many reasons Ohio is a leader in industry and commerce by providing a strategic location from which businesses produce, assemble and distribute their finished goods. Regional and shortline railroads also keep Ohio competitive locally and nationally. Ranking 4th in total rail miles and having the highest concentration of rail lines per square mile in the nation, Ohio’s rail system is vital to the global transportation network. Rail runs throughout the Lake Erie Industrial Park and could service covered warehousing space or open space. Ottawa County’s major rail service provider is Norfolk Southern.

NORFOLK SOUTHERN MOVES:

OUTBOUND

60% Intermodal

13% Metals & Construction

9% Agricultural Products

8% Chemicals

5% Automotive

5% Coal

INBOUND

57% Intermodal

16% Metals & Construction

11% Coal

6% Other

5% Paper, Clay & Forest Products

5% Agricultural Products

Energy Supply & Digital Infrastructure

Quality infrastructure is critical to support supply chains, facilitate communication and connect businesses to reliable and affordable energy sources. Thanks to unprecedented investments in transportation, digital technology and trade, Ohio hosts the dependable infrastructure required to do business.

Ohio’s infrastructure provides cheap, reliable energy and is designed around creating a fast, cost-effective, and digital future providing a cleaner, more affordable power source for generations to come.

1 of 6 States: “A” Grade

Ohio is one of six states to receive an A grade in logistics industry health.

1 of 10 Freight Destination States

Ohio is one of the top 10 freight destination states by the value of goods shipped annually, making it an important state for logistics.

#2 in Trucking Employment

Trucking employment ranks No. 2 in the Midwest (No. 4 in the U.S.), ensuring there are always drivers available for shipments.

#5 in Warehousing & Storage Svs

Ohio ranks as the fifth highest state in the nation in warehousing and storage services.

Ohio’s statewide broadband and fiber network provides companies with access to the internet and to resources and services that support broadband.

  • Ohio currently has a high-speed 100 Gbps internet network throughout the state.
  • Ohio’s technology infrastructure includes advantageous resources such as the Ohio Supercomputer Center and the Ohio Academic Resources Network (OARnet) – providing tech solutions and connected public-private-industry digital opportunities to help companies stay competitive.
  • Over $210 million in federal grant funding was invested between 2009-2014 to build next-generation “middle mile” fiber networks.

(source: JobsOhio)