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Transportation and Logistics

Located midway between the northern and southern U.S., Washington County has convenient interstate access to over 40% of the U.S. population within a day’s drive.

Highways & Interstates

I-81, a key national north-south interstate running from Tennessee to upstate New York and US-Canadian border, traverses Washington County.  Ten I-81 interchanges across the county means that most business parks and industrial sites are located within 1-2 miles of an interstate access point.

  • I-26 within 30 minutes
  • I-77 within 1 hour
  • 1-40 within 1.5 hours
  • 1-64 within 2 hours
  • 1-75 within 2 hours
  • 1-85 within 3 hours

Airports

Three airports serve Washington County and the surrounding region: 

Virginia Highlands Airport is a regional base of operations for corporate and private aircraft.  Located within .5 miles of I-81 Exit 13, the airport is just minutes from historic Abingdon and the Virginia/Tennessee state line at Bristol.  An expansion project currently underway will lengthen the existing runway to 5,500 feet and allow the airport to serve larger aircraft and clients. 

Tri-Cities Airport (TRI) is a full-service commercial airport serving the greater Appalachian Highlands region of Southwest Virginia and Northeastern Tennessee.  TRI offers multiple daily non-stop flights to Atlanta, Charlotte, and Dallas/Ft. Worth via American and Delta.  Allegiant also provides non-stop flights to Orlando/Sanford and St. Petersburg/Clearwater. 

Ports

There are five ports within a day’s drive of Washington County:

The Port of Virginia moves cargo through world-class facilities housed on 1,864 acres. With 6 terminals, 30 miles of on-deck rail, 50-foot channels, and services offered by two Class I railroads, the Port of Virginia is well equipped to handle all your shipping needs. 

Learn more about the Port of Baltimore

Learn more about the Port of Wilmington

Learn more about the Port of Charleston

Learn more about the Port of Savannah

Rail Freight

Norfolk-Southern Corporation, one of the nation’s major transporters of industrial products, operates rail lines within Washington County.  Programs such as Virginia’s Rail Industrial Access (RIA) program may provide opportunities to support qualified industrial and commercial economic development projects.

Learn more about Norfolk Southern's Rail Lines