Motor routes

     McMinn County is served by an excellent highway transportation system boasting more than 1,120 miles
of paved roadway.

     Major routes include Interstate 75, which extends from the Canadian border to Miami, Florida, U.S. Highway 411 and U.S. Highway 11. State Highways 30, 39, 68, 163, 305, 307 and 310 are the main secondary routes in the county. Interstates 40, 24 and 59 are within 45-minute drives and U.S. Highway 27 is within a 30-minute drive.

     Interstate 75 is a four-lane system and local officials have supported expanding it to six lanes between Knoxville and Chattanooga. According to Tennessee Department of Transportation officials, the widening is a part of the long range plan for the interstate.

     U.S. Highway 411, which serves the McMinn County towns of Etowah and Englewood, currently is in the process of being widened from the Georgia state line to Maryville, Tennessee. Construction will soon be completed for improvements to State Highway 30, a route that links Athens with Decatur in neighboring Meigs County. A Tennessee River bridge was constructed in 1998 and has improved access to U.S. Highway 27 from McMinn County via State Highway 30.

     The McMinn County Highway system, which features about 800 miles of roadway, is one of the best in the state. Local municipalities also maintain several hundred miles of roadway.

Airports

     The state licensed McMinn County Airport is located about two miles southeast of downtown Athens. Classified as a general utility airport, it has a 5,500'x100' runway. The paved asphalt runway is used daily by corporate aircraft.

     Airport traffic is controlled by ground control, a unicom system, NDB approach and medium density, 36-inch beacon lighting. Jet fuel and 100 octane aviation fuel is available at the facility. Other services include flight instruction, hangar leasing, chains, charter service, taxi, automobile rental and Federal Aviation Administration approved major A&E repairs.

     The airport was named the Most Improved Airport in 1997 and received the Front Door Award in 1998. The runway was extended and widened in 2006. The airport can be reached at (423) 745-4939.

     The nearest commercial airline and air freight services are less than an hour's drive from Athens in either direction along I-75. Lovell Field in Chattanooga is 52 miles south with American Eagle, Comair, Delta, Northwest and US Air Express terminals. There are 46 daily flights at the airport.

     McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville is 55 miles north. The facility is served by Allegiant Air, American Eagle, Comair, Continental Express, Delta, Northwest, Northwest Airlink, Skywest United Express, and US Air Express terminals. There are 140 daily flights at the airport.

     Five travel agencies are located in McMinn County.

Freight carriers

     More than 14 trucking companies serve the McMinn County area, with both national freight and parcel shipping available. Two of the carriers have terminals inside McMinn County.

Railroads

     Rail service is provided by CSX Transportation and Norfolk-Southern. The two lines provide daily direct freight and intermodal service to the Eastern United States, with connections to other carriers to the Southwest and other areas west of the Mississippi River. "Piggy-back" service is available.

Waterways

     Year-round navigable waterways connecting McMinn County to major markets include the Hiwassee and Tennessee Rivers. Both rivers feature nine-foot minimum depth channels and Tennessee Valley Authority hydroelectric dams which provide the area with power and reservoirs for water supplies.

     The Hiwassee River serves as the natural boundary between McMinn and Bradley County to the south and is the location of Calhoun, the nearest navigable port. The Tennessee River is accessed through adjoining Meigs County and is less than a 20-minute drive from many points in McMinn County.

     Located near the junction of the Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama state lines is the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway which connects the Tombigbee and Tennessee rivers. The connection point serves as a gateway to the 16,000-mile mid-American waterway system by tying together 12 rivers into one nine-foot-depth navigable channel. The Midwest and the Southeastern Gulf of Mexico are linked by the Tennessee-Tombigbee, which, provides inland ports and major market areas with access to both domestic and foreign markets.