INFRASTRUCTURE

Conveniently located in south central Florida at the top of Lake Okeechobee, Okeechobee County is positioned to be a global hub for distribution of goods, supplies, and parts—a gateway to the United States and beyond.

ROADWAYS

Access to the Florida Turnpike and I-95 are just 30 miles east from downtown Okeechobee on Florida State Road 70 (SR70).  The north end of the county has access to the Florida Turnpike in nearby Yeehaw Junction. 

Florida SR 70 stretchs 148 miles across the Florida peninsula and travels through the heart of Okeechobee offering access to both the east and west coast of Floriday.  Traveling west on SR 70 from Okeechobee provides a direct link to I-75 in Bradenton.  Traveling east on SR 70 takes you to Ft. Pierce with a spacious divided four lane highway. 

U.S. Route 98 (US 98) is an east-west United States highway that runs 671 miles from the Alabama-Florida state line to West Palm Beach on the east coast of southern Florida. It is the longest US road in Florida.  US 98 runs parallell to Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, the nearest international airport to Okeechobee County.

Florida State Road 710  (SR 710) is a 57-mile mostly free of turns and curves, that travels on a northwest-southeast route connecting SR 70 near Okeechobee, to West Palm Beach, it parallels the railroad tracks maintained by CSX Transportation.

U.S. Route 441 (US 441) runs north–south through Okeechobee County.  US 441 runs 433 miles from Miami in South Florida northwest to the Georgia border north of the Lake City area.

RAILWAYS

There are many reasons companies choose to ship by rail. It’s cost efficient, environmentally friendly and gets products quickly to the country’s largest production and consumption areas. Okeechobee County is served by CSX  who offers several options to integrate the efficiencies of rail into your supply chain, even if there isn’t track at your facility. CSX is a transportation leader, and their experienced teams will support you with professional consultation and creative solutions. If you want to learn more, contact CSX for rates or information. 

Okeechobee is also served by Amtrak. The national rail operator, connects America in safer, greener and healthier ways. With 21,000 route miles in 46 states, the District of Columbia and three Canadian provinces, Amtrak operates more than 300 trains each day — at speeds up to 150 mph — to more than 500 destinations. Amtrak is the operator of choice for state-supported corridor services in 17 states and for four commuter rail agencies. For more information about the Okeechobee Station visit www.amtrak.com/stations/oke.

SEAPORTS

Florida’s 15 public seaports play a critical role in the lives of our citizens and continue to drive Florida’s economy. From what we wear to what we eat, from building materials to automobiles, almost everything we use in our daily lives flows through our ports.

Currently, Florida seaports generate nearly 900,000 direct and indirect jobs and contribute $117.6 billion in economic value to the state through cargo and cruise activities. Florida maritime activities account for approximately 13 percent of Florida’s Gross Domestic Product while contributing $4.2 billion in state and local taxes.

A re-alignment of global trade routes is clearly underway, and Florida ports are strategically positioned to take maximum advantage of this opportunity. Our goal is to invest in infrastructure, improve the business climate, and above all, seize the opportunity to become a global hub, capturing an even larger share of international trade and related commercial activities.

This will be accomplished by providing investments and incentives for projects that capture a larger share of the containerized imports serving Florida businesses and consumers; expanding export markets for Florida businesses; and, creating more efficient logistics patterns that attract advanced manufacturing and other export-related industries to Florida.

Okeechobee County is located in the central southern part of the State and in close to  six deepwater seaports. For more information on Florida Ports please visit the Florida Ports Council website. The nearest port to the County is the Port of Palm Beach. The Port of Palm Beach is located 60 miles south of Okeechobee County.  The ship entrance is through an inlet channel 300 feet wide with no aerial obstructions leading into Lake Worth. Transit time is a short 20 minutes from the sea buoy to the docks, with operating drafts of drafts of minus 33 feet (MLW). The Port of Palm Beach is the fourth busiest container port in Florida, and the eighteenth busiest in the continental U.S. In addition to intermodal capacity, the port is a major modal point for the shipment of bulk sugar (domestic usages), molasses, cement, utility fuels, water, produce, and breakbulk items.