Transportation
Roads & Highways
Willmar and Kandiyohi County provide a comprehensive transportation network to keep your goods and services moving. The transportation infrastructure includes a medley of highway connections providing north/south connections via US Highway 71 and MN Highway 23 and east/west on US Highway 12 and MN Highway 40.
Railroad
The Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway, a Class 1 rail system, is critical to our success as a regional business hub. BNSF has a major switching yard in Willmar, featuring an east/west and north/south connection on Minnesota’s busiest railway. A $10 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery Grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation was used in a $52 million collaborative public-private project to construct approximately 14,500 feet of track between two BNSF main lines and bypass train traffic west of Willmar. In 2024, KCED and the City of Willmar are working to create a rail park on 144 acres of land.
As a regional trade center for West Central Minnesota, one of the critical elements in the city’s plans was enhanced freight connectivity for industrial development. The $48 million Willmar Wye rail project provided access and the opportunity to expand businesses and create jobs. With this rail project, the Willmar Industrial Park will be served by all three major freight modes—air, rail, and trucking.
Trucking
The Willmar Industrial Park is located to the west of the City of Willmar’s Renaissance/Opportunity Zones (RZ/OZ). The new FedEx Ground Distribution Center is a regional draw for trucking transportation. Highway 71 goes through the Willmar RZ/OZ and connects with two major highways, US Highway 12 and MN Highway 23.
The City of Willmar boasts several transportation/logistics businesses, including Mills Auto Parts, UPS, Northern Radiator, Woody’s Trucking, Magnum Trucking, and 6th Street Logistics, among other strong businesses.
Air Travel
Suppose air travel and cargo are important to your company. In that case, you’ll appreciate the quality of the facilities at the Willmar Municipal Airport, with an all-weather 5,500-foot runway that safely accommodates all business jets and most cargo planes. In the spring of 2022 the City of Willmar approved the construction of a new hangar that accommodatse the largest corporate jets currently on the market at the Municipal Airport. It sufficiently accommodates business jets and cargo planes with the paved 5,500-foot runway. Airport travelers have access to a full-service, fixed-base operator without the congestion of a metro airport.
Public Transportation
Kandiyohi County’s local transit services and public transportation systems are integral parts of the community’s transportation system, transporting significant numbers of people and offering mobility to individuals without other personal transportation options.
Central Community Transit (CCT), provides a number of transportation services to the region’s residents, including public transportation for a fee.
Jefferson Bus Lines has daily scheduled service from Willmar to Sioux Falls and the Twin Cities. Willmar’s stop location is at the Lakeview Inn. Tickets are available online, in person at the Lakeview Inn or by calling 800.451.5333.
Kandiyohi County also has private charter bus companies, including R & J Tours and Southwest Tours and Willmar Bus Service.
Rentals, Shuttles & Taxi Service
Rental vehicles are available in Kandiyohi County through Atwater Ford and Enterprise Rent-a-Car.
Several private companies offer taxi and limousine service, including Care Cab Transportation, Night Life Limousine, Let’s Ride and Willmar Taxi.
Executive Express is a St. Cloud-based airport shuttle service with daily pick-up service in Willmar to the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport.
