RidgePort Logistics Center™ is a 14 million square foot rail-served park situated on more than 1,500 acres and located less than 40 miles southwest of downtown Chicago. RidgePort is strategically positioned just three miles from the entrance to the BNSF Logistics Park-Chicago in Elwood, and the Union Pacific-Joliet Intermodal Terminal in Joliet. The two intermodals combined, make up one of the largest container ports in the United States.

RidgePort provides unparalleled advantages to its clients through its superior location and amenities. It starts with the unique location: the BNSF mainline runs directly along the western boundary, and Interstate 55 runs along east. The ease of access is second to none. RidgePort also lies in Wilmington, IL, making it part of the Will County inland port region, but just far enough outside the congestion and traffic of other nearby facilities. This will result in efficient operations, and convenient onsite services

RidgePort Logistics Center lies within Wilmington, Illinois, a town in Will County. Just over an hour’s drive from downtown Chicago, RidgePort offers easy access to nearby interstates, I-55 and I-80. The park’s central regional location, combined with its access to the BNSF rail line allows for both national and regional transportation.

Will County Information: Public officials, business leaders and community advocates alike have acknowledged the significance of the transportation/logistics industry growth that has occurred in Will County. With its concentration of transportation assets, industrial base and growing distribution function, Will County has taken shape as an Inland Port in the past decade. Not unlike traditional coastal ports, Will County facilitates the movement of freight on a large scale. Growth in freight capacity has established Will County as an important link in global supply chains and elevated Will County’s role in the regional economy. Attempts to measure the impacts of its Inland Port status point to the fact that Will County’s situation is unique and has not reached its full potential.

Some facts to consider:

- Will County is located approximately 35 miles southwest of Chicago, the nation’s prime transportation hub and largest city in the Great Lakes mega-region

- Will County is home to a truly multi-modal transportation network with six Class I Railroads (BNSF, UP, CSX, CN, NS & IC), Interstates 80, 55, 57 & 355, an active inland waterway route, and a well-developed regional trail system

- Will County is positioned to lead in intermodal transportation with investments by BNSF and UP in major new intermodal facilities surrounded by acres of industrial parks and planned infrastructure improvements

- Will County was the fastest growing county in the State of Illinois in the last decade gaining nearly 175,000 residents

- Will County has 12,528 jobs in the transportation/logistics sector in 2014 with an average wage of $52,469

- http://www.willcountyced.com/MidwestEmpire/

- Link to Will County Executive Summary Inland Port Study?

RidgePort is located on I-55 at the full four-way interchange at Lorenzo Road in Will County, IL. The project is nine miles south of the interchange of I-55 and I-80 (located less than 40 miles southwest of downtown Chicago). Additionally, the project is located at the western terminus of the proposed Illiana Expressway that will connect I-65 to I-55.

This central location provides for unlimited access to all corners of the United States while minimizing congestion and truck traffic on local streets from existing intermodal facilities located within Chicago to Chicago’s outer loop.

With about 32,000 route miles in 28 states and two Canadian provinces, BNSF Railway Company plays an invaluable role in facilitating the movement of goods safely and efficiently to major United States markets. BNSF provides an easy, relevant choice for all types of rail-served shippers in a wide variety of locations through its world-class processes and technology. Well positioned to handle the substantial growth in trade occurring between North America and Asia, BNSF serves all major U.S. West Coast and Gulf Coast container ports and is one of the world’s leading providers of intermodal rail transportation. As manufacturing continues to move off shore and companies continue to expedite time-to-market and reduce logistics costs, BNSF’s Economic Development team can help customers combine the economics of rail with the flexibility of truck by providing rail service to logistics parks such as RidgePort Logistics Center®.

Strategically located only three miles from BNSF Railway’s Logistics Park Chicago and nine miles from Union Pacific-Joliet Intermodal Terminal, with two miles of frontage on the BNSF Railway Transcontinental Mainline, RidgePort Logistics Center® clients can take advantage of local, national and international trade routes originating in the Far East via the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach where the Mainline to Chicago begins. Rapid growth in imports from overseas, coupled with increased fuel and transportation costs has led to substantial growth on the nation’s railroad infrastructure. This growth has led to an increased demand for warehouse facilities in the Chicago metropolitan area located in close proximity to intermodal ramps.

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download the Inland Port Marketing Brochure (PDF)

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News Release, May 21, 2014

News Release, May 12, 2014

News Release, May 5, 2014

Chicago Tribune, July 22, 2014

RE Journals, May 16, 2014

The Business Journals, May 12, 2014

Logistics Week, June 29, 2011

Cargo Business News, June 27, 2011

INSIGHTS + TRENDS + OPPORTUNITIES, 3Q 2014

INSIGHTS + TRENDS + OPPORTUNITIES, 2Q 2014