Windsor-Essex is situated at the heart of the richest consumer market in the world, with more than 200 million people located within a 13-hour drive.
The busiest Canada-U.S. border crossing
As the gateway to North America, our region hosts four Canada-U.S. surface crossings:
- Ambassador Bridge
- Detroit-Windsor Tunnel
- Detroit River Rail Tunnel
- Port of Windsor
We also have a fifth crossing, the Gordie Howe International Bridge set to be completed in 2024. The Windsor-Detroit crossing is the busiest commercial border crossing between Canada and the U.S., handling approximately one-third of all trade between the two countries (about $1 billion per day).
Unparalleled market access
Windsor-Essex's strategic location provides unparalleled market access to dozens of major metropolitan areas, with millions of consumers. It's a true gateway to North America.
City | Distance to centre (km) | Driving time (hours) | Population |
---|---|---|---|
Detroit |
1.6 |
0.1 |
672,662 |
Toledo |
95 |
1.0 |
274,975 |
Cleveland |
300 |
3.0 |
383,793 |
Toronto |
340 |
4.0 |
2,731,571 |
Chicago |
460 |
4.5 |
2,706,000 |
Buffalo, NY |
420 |
4.5 |
256,304 |
Washington, DC |
850 |
8.5 |
684,498 |
Ottawa |
810 |
8.5 |
934,243 |
New York |
990 |
9.0 |
8,399,000 |
Montréal |
885 |
9.5 |
1,704,694 |
Philadelphia |
940 |
9.5 |
1,584,000 |
Source: Yahoo Maps, Statistics Canada (2016 Census), US Census Bureau (2018)
Your multimodal transportation centre
Windsor-Essex is a multimodal transportation centre, featuring:
- Cross-border infrastructure
- Western terminus of Highway 401 ("Ontario's Main Street"), and road and rail connections to the U.S. Interstate system and rail networks
- $1.4 billion Herb Gray Parkway
- High-speed fiber-optic links, with bandwidth in excess of optical carrier 3 (OC3) speeds
Windsor International Airport (YQG) |
Windsor International Airport (YQG) offers the following benefits:
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Port of Windsor |
The Port of Windsor provides the following benefits:
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Rail |
Rail connections support local businesses and provide access for goods on their way to North American markets through a rail tunnel connecting Windsor-Essex and Michigan. Windsor-Essex is also at the western terminus of Highway 401 providing a direct link to interstate highways in the U.S. The Essex Terminal Railway (ETR) tracks extend from Windsor, ON to Amherstburg, ON, serving lumber transfer yards, major agricultural and chemical plants, machinery, steel, grain, salt and scrap industry. A Great Lake marine terminal accommodates ocean vessels, and large automotive parts production center. Because of the connections to CN, CP, Norfolk Southern and CSXT, the customers of the ETR can access any point in the rail networks of Canada, the United States and Mexico. Rail traffic to and from the U.S. is accommodated in a twin track tunnel that provides the fastest, most uncongested, easiest grade, lowest cost method of moving rail cars from Chicago to New York City via Niagara Falls. |