Transportation, Distribution, & Logistics
The Aerotropolis region allows businesses in the TDL sector to thrive by utilizing our air, rail, and freeway infrastructure to improve shipping speed and costs and increase profits. Our five communities are home to more than 150 firms and 7,000 employees providing services to every aspect of the global supply chain.
The Location Quotient (LQ), or concentration of industry compared to the rest of the U.S., paints a clear picture of why the Detroit Region Aerotropolis is a TDL hub. In 2016, Non-Scheduled Air transportation was almost 44 times more concentrated in the Aerotropolis than across the nation.
| Company Description |
Location Quotient |
| Non-Scheduled Air Transportation | 43.56 |
| Scheduled Air Transportation | 25.33 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement | 7.72 |
| Support Activities for Rail Transportation | 7.68 |
| Other Support Activities for Transportation | 6.68 |
| Support Activities for Air Transportation | 5.79 |
| Local Messengers and Local Delivery | 4.86 |
Top TDL Employers
United Road | Romulus, MI
235 Employees (Almost 2,000 employees nationwide)
United Road provides logistics for vehicle manufacturers, re-marketers, auctions, dealers, and internet vehicle transactions across the United States. With over $530 million in revenue, United Road is the seventh fastest growing company in southeast Michigan and eighth largest logistics company in Michigan.
Kalitta Air | Ypsilanti, MI
500+ Employees
From humble beginnings in 1967 with a single twin-engine Cessna, owner Conrad Kalitta has built a full service cargo airline headquartered at Willow Run Airport, and is currently operating 22 B747 freighters.
Additional Notable Firms
Logistics
The intersection of I-94 and I-275 lies at the center of the Aerotropolis region, creating convenient drive times to numerous cities, ports, and other freeway corridors.
Transportation and Ease of Access
| Distance To: | Driving Time: |
| Detroit, MI | 30 minutes |
| Lansing, MI | 1 hr 15 min |
| Ann Arbor, MI | 25 minutes |
| Flint, MI | 1 hr 15 min |
| Troy, MI | 55 minutes |
| Southfield, MI | 35 minutes |
| Livonia, MI | 25 minutes |
Ports
| Distance to: | Driving Time: |
| Detroit Wayne County Port Authority | 30 minutes |
| Port Huron, MI | 85 minutes |
| Port of Monroe, MI Add Port of Toledo |
25 minutes |
Major Highways
| Distance to: | Driving Time: |
| I-75 via I-94 | 25 minutes |
| I-75 via I-275 | 20 minutes |
| I-96 via 1-275 | 10 minutes |
| US-23 | 20 minutes |
| I-696 | 30 minutes |
Railways
Four Class-A rail lines run through the Detroit Region Aerotropolis from Canadian National, CSX Transportation, and Norfolk Southern, with spur and short line access available. Available property directly adjacent to rail range from 10 to 400+ acres and are located throughout the region.
Airports
The Detroit Region Aerotropilis region has two international passenger and cargo airports: Detroit Metropolitan Airport and Willow Run Airport. Detroit Metro has two passenger terminals and an annual economic impact of $10.2 billion. Willow Run is a cargo airport that transports 200 million pounds of cargo and has an economic impact of $123 million.
