Uniquely positioned in the heart of central Illinois in McLean County, Bloomington-Normal is approximately equidistant from the cities of Chicago, Indianapolis, and St. Louis. The highway proximity and geographic location place the Bloomington-Normal community within sixty (60) minutes of all major central Illinois metropolitan areas and within ninety minutes of 1.8 million people, representing the largest population concentration in the state outside of the Chicago metro area.
Bloomington-Normal is well served in terms of freeway and rail access. Located at the confluence of three interstates – I-39, I-55 and I-74, Bloomington-Normal’s transportation infrastructure offers unparalleled efficient and direct connections to Chicago and St. Louis.
Freight rail access is available via Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern with rail connections to major intermodal and re-classification facilities in Chicago and St. Louis. Illinois’s second busiest Amtrak station has its terminal in Normal, and construction is underway to upgrade this service to high-speed rail as part of the national High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program. With the Normal Amtrak station as major stop, Amtrak offers four daily routes that serve the Chicago and St. Louis corridor and a fourth route, the Texas Eagle, that originates in Chicago and continues to St. Louis and on to Dallas, Texas.
The Central Illinois Regional Airport (CIRA) at Bloomington Normal serves Bloomington-Normal and the surrounding region.With three major carriers offering daily flights to five international hubs in Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Detroit, access to and from hundreds of domestic and international destinations is available through CIRA . Nonstop service to Orlando/Sanford and Tampa/St. Pete is offered by Allegiant Travel several times per week year round. Over 400,000 passengers a year from throughout the region travel through the airport for commercial and leisure purposes.
Connect Transit is the public transportation provider for Bloomington Normal, providing a growing rider base with over 2.7 million rides in 2015, an increase of 47% over the last 3 years. Connect Transit provides 13 fixed transit routes and ADA paratransit service called Connect Mobility. Connect Transit partners with large employers, universities and community groups to provide "Universal Access," which allows these institutions to provide their employees and students unlimited access on Connect Transit routes. Connect Transit is improving its rolling fleet, adding 30 new low-floor buses over the next 5 years, in addition to designating stops and improving transit stop infrastructure. Connect Transit provides major transfer hubs at Uptown Station in Normal, Downtown Bloomington, Eastland Mall, and the Shoppes at College Hills, connecting riders with employment, services, retail and recreation throughout Bloomington Normal.
Connect Transit has been recognized by the American Public Transportation System (APTA) as the 2015 Outstanding Public Transportation System. Award winning highlights include a redesigned website complete with a user friendly trip planner, up to date detour information, and an interactive experience with social media; the launch of mobile bus tracking, accessible online or via a mobile phone app, that allows riders to see their buses in real time down to the minute it will be arriving at it’s next stop; an increased focus on internal and external customer service resulting in better on time performance and ride experience; participation in partnerships dedicated to safety at a local and state level; the development and implementation of a best practice procurement policy; and continued outreach in the community through support of events such as “Walk In Bike Out” hosted by the West Bloomington Revitalization Project, “Light the Nite” in Uptown Normal and programs such as “One Voice” in collaboration with the Economic Development Council. These efforts have led to an increase in ridership of 40% over the last three years.
In early 2015, FedEx Express opened a regional sorting/distribution facility at CIRA capitalizing on the strategic location of the crossroads of three (3) federal interstates for superior access to all of Illinois as well as direct access into Indiana. The airfield capabilities at CIRA include three precision instrument landing systems, including the only CAT II precision instrument landing system outside the Chicago area This special system will allow aircraft to land in low visibility conditions; ensuring that aircraft and time sensitive packages will arrive safely and reliably.
"Commuting is a part of everyday life for those in Lexington. 60% of Lexington’s commuters drive or car pool only 20 minutes to work according to the Census Bureau. Our residents appreciate our location and ease of access to planes, trains, and automobile routes."
—John Mohr, Mayor of Lexington
Over 400,000 passengers a year from throughout the region travel through the Bloomington-Normal Airport Authority for commercial and leisure purposes.
