The area’s industry is built on a history of transportation. In the 1790’s, a road from Maryland to the Mississippi River was commissioned. Although never fully completed, the portion that was finished became the National Road, which was replaced in the 1960’s with Interstate 70, a vital artery that links the east and west coasts. Interstate 70 intersects near the county seat, Cambridge, with Interstate 77, a major north-to-south highway that stretches from Lake Erie to Florida. Much of the nation’s goods travel through Guernsey County via the highway system. The figure below illustrates that Guernsey County lies within a day’s drive of 60% of the nation’s market.
Cambridge Municipal Airport is a single runway airport with a 4,300 ft. length and 75 ft. width. The runway is constructed of grooved bituminous asphalt, capable of supporting all types of aircraft, including jet aircraft. The terminal houses a pilots lounge, and both avgas and jet fuels are available. The airport’s all-weather instrument capabilities are supported by a ground-based localizer navigational landing aid. Commercial flights are available from:
Local rail service is provided by Ohio Central, a division of Genesee & Wyoming, Inc. Main line switching lies within 28 miles. Rail service to local industry such as Colgate-Palmolive, Superior Hardwoods, or Dyna-Nobel, is efficient and timely. Increased requirements for rail service is expected to be a result of the growth in the local oil and gas industry, tapping into the Utica Shale resource.
The South East Area Transit (SEAT) is a government entity that provides service to Guernsey County. SEAT offers hourly services on fixed routes, traveling between Cambridge and Byesville. Schedules are posted on the SEAT web site at www.seatbus.org. Riders simply check the time and nearest location where they can either wait at a designated stop or hail the bus at any intersection on the bus route that is safe and on the same side of the street the bus is traveling (a flag stop). In 2013, SEAT provided transportation to almost 25,000 Guernsey County citizens. SEAT buses traveled a total of 153,382 miles, transporting the nearly 100 passengers daily to their destinations safely and comfortably.
