The Northwest Tennessee region, “Tennessee’s Northwest Passage,” is located near the geographic center of the U.S. population and is connected to the world by a robust mixture of road, rail, air and water corridors. Bordered on the east and west by the Tennessee and Mississippi Rivers, Northwest Tennessee offers commercial navigation in Henry, Benton, Lake and Dyer counties. Commercial navigation is provided by way of the river ports at Hickman, KY, New Johnsonville, TN, and Memphis, TN. The new $53 million Port of Cates Landing is now under construction in Lake County. All nine counties are located within 25 miles of an interstate.
Current construction of I-69 will create significant transportation benefits in this region. Four sites in the Northwest Region are in the process of being approved as Foreign Trade Zones. The highway system includes a network of U.S. and State Highways with a variety of improvement projects underway to enhance their value to the region. Air transportation assets within the region include seven general aviation airports, two of which have runways approximately 5,000’ in length. The Everett-Stewart Regional Airport has recently expanded runaway capabilities to 6,500’. Other commercial airline facilities are located nearby in Jackson, TN, Paducah, KY, Memphis and Nashville, TN. Rail transportation is available in all counties with more than 352 miles of track serviced by a variety of Class 1 freight transportation providers. Telecommunications availability and capacity vary by location within each county; however, each county has cellular phone service, broadband internet connectivity and access to fiber optic lines in specific locations within populated areas.
