The Greater Sterling Area is served by an expansive transportation network with easy access to state, interstate and transcontinental highways; Class I and Class II railroads; international, regional or municipal airports; and global connections through area ports.
Situated just north of Interstate 88, Sterling is directly connected to the region’s busiest interstates, with two transcontinental interstates (I-80 and I-90) passing through our region. We are one hour away from:
and two hours away from:
Passing directly through Sterling is Illinois Route 40, a Class 3 north and Class 2 south route with an 80,000-pound load limit for six-axle vehicles.
East Moline, IL to Hillside, IL
Junction with IL-40, 2.5 miles south of Sterling
San Francisco, CA to Teaneck, NJ
Junction with IL-40, 28 miles south of Sterling
Normal, IL to Wausau, WI
Junction with I-88, 35 miles east of Sterling
Seattle, WA to MA-1A in Boston, MA
Junction with I-39, 63.5 miles northeast of Sterling
Bettendorf, IA to Lumberton, NC
Junction with IL-40, 78 miles south of Sterling
Astoria, OR to Atlantic City, NJ
Junction with IL-40, 1.5 miles south of Sterling
Charleston, SC to Portal, ND
Junction with IL-2, 9 miles east of Sterling
Bishop, CA to Provincetown, MA
Junction with IL-40, 29.5 miles south of Sterling
Newport, OR to Boston, MA
Junction with IL-26, 37 miles north of Sterling
East Peoria, IL to Mt. Carroll, IL
Running directly through Sterling
Sterling, IL to South Beloit, IL
Beginning in Sterling
A number of international, regional and local airports serve the greater Sterling area.
Located four miles from Sterling, Whiteside County Airport (SQI) is a general aviation airport offering convenient access for private jets. Whiteside County Airport’s main runway is 6,500 feet long with a 3,900-foot-long crosswind runway. Fixed based operator Sauk Valley Aviation provides aircraft charter and arranges aircraft storage, parking, fueling, sales, maintenance and flight instruction.
The Quad Cities International Airport is 50 miles from Sterling, and features an 8,500-foot-long runway. It is served by Delta, American Airlines, United Airlines and Allegiant, and provides access to nine nonstop flights to hubs and destinations across the US.
Chicago Rockford International Airport is a great alternative to Chicago-area airports, just 66 miles from Sterling. Chicago Rockford has two runways (10,000 and 8,200 feet), is home to UPS’s largest regional parcel-sorting center, is a Foreign Trade Zone and port of entry for the U.S. with same-day customs clearance. The cost of doing business at Chicago Rockford International Airport is one-third that of O’Hare International.
O’Hare International Airport is 111 miles from Sterling and is one of the world’s busiest airports. O’Hare offers both domestic and international flights and serves as a hub for freight, express and mail cargo.
Midway International Airport is approximately 108 miles from Sterling and provides convenient access to domestic flights across the U.S. Midway is a major hub for low-cost carriers and offers a range of passenger and cargo services.
In addition to the major railroads listed below, Sterling is served by three shortline railroads.
Union Pacific serves Sterling’s central industrial area with an average of 90 trains per day. The Sterling-area line is one of the strongest roadbed/track systems in the United States, with a continuously welded track between Chicago, Illinois, and Omaha, Nebraska, this line allows for speeds of more than 80 MPH.
BNSF operates a major freight network through northern Illinois, with nearby access points serving the broader Sterling region. Known for its efficiency and capacity, BNSF's system includes high-speed, high-volume corridors that support intermodal, agricultural, and industrial freight transport across the Midwest and beyond.
Norfolk Southern connects to the Sterling area via its extensive Midwest network, providing reliable freight service to key markets in the South and East. With a focus on automotive, coal, and intermodal transport, Norfolk Southern supports a strong logistics chain with modern infrastructure and competitive transit times.
CSX Transportation operates through northern Illinois with lines that offer access to the Sterling region. Serving a broad range of industries, CSX specializes in efficient long-haul freight service to the eastern United States, supported by a well-maintained track system and intermodal capabilities.
Canadian National provides freight service throughout the Midwest with network access near Sterling. As a transcontinental carrier, CN moves goods efficiently between the U.S., Canada, and Gulf Coast ports. Its Illinois corridor supports key manufacturing and agricultural sectors with high-volume capacity.
Sterling has three nearby major inland ports, with more planned along the Mississippi River in eastern Iowa.
The Port of Chicago spans 190 acres with 3,000 feet of berthing space for boats and barges. It features more than 330,000 square feet of warehouse storage, including 30,000 square feet of climate-controlled space and over 50 acres dedicated to dry bulk handling with four storage domes totaling 50,000 tons of capacity. The Port administers Foreign Trade Zone No. 22.
Located at Iroquois Landing, the port connects to six Class I railroads (BNSF, CN, CP, CSX, NS, and UP), the Belt Railway, Indiana Harbor Belt, and several short lines. It is accessible from I-90/94, with easy connections to I-80, I-57, I-55, and I-65 within 10 miles.
Port Milwaukee is located 150 miles from Sterling on the western shore of Lake Michigan and is the only Lake Michigan port approved for direct barge access to the Mississippi River system. It is served by Interstates 94 and 794 and two Class I railroads: Union Pacific and Canadian Pacific.
The port is a grantee of Foreign Trade Zone No. 41 and is equipped with heavy-lift capabilities, including a stiff leg derrick rated for 440,000 pounds at a 52-foot radius and mobile crawler cranes with up to 300-ton lifting capacity.
The St. Louis regional port system handles one-third of all freight on the Mississippi River while covering just 8 percent of its total length. Located at the confluence of the Mississippi, Missouri, and Illinois Rivers, the port supports 15 barge-transfer facilities with capacity for 150 barges per day.
The port includes two Foreign Trade Zones and is the northernmost lock- and ice-free port on the Mississippi River operating year-round. It has direct access to six Class I railroads, seven interstates, and two international airports within a 500-mile reach of one-third of the U.S. population.