Columbus has quietly become one of the top logistics metros in the country, built around a genuinely unusual asset: the Rickenbacker Inland Port, one of the only locations in the U.S. combining a dedicated cargo airport, Class I intermodal rail terminal, and Foreign-Trade Zone in a single location.
Rail & Air Access
Rickenbacker International Airport is a cargo-dedicated airport anchoring Foreign-Trade Zone #138, one of the highest-ranked FTZs in the country for warehousing and distribution activity. The adjacent Norfolk Southern Rickenbacker Intermodal Terminal, part of the NS Heartland Corridor, adds direct double-stack rail service. CSX also serves the broader market.
Highway Access
I-70 and I-71 intersect in Columbus, and the market’s central location puts roughly 47% of the U.S. population and a third of Canada’s within a one-day truck drive — one of the best ratios of any market in the country.
Why Brands Choose Columbus for 3PL & Warehouse Selection
For brands that want Chicago-level central-U.S. reach without Chicago-level congestion, plus the FTZ duty-deferral advantage for import-heavy supply chains, Columbus is one of the strongest under-the-radar options in a network optimization analysis.