Sault Ste. Marie is strategically located at the heart of the Great Lakes, on the U.S. border, at the centre of North America and on the Trans-Canada Highway.
With easy and efficient access to national and international markets by road, sea, rail and air, the community is a hub for trade and commerce. Businesses, including Algoma Steel and Tenaris Algoma Tubes, are taking advantage of the city's strategic location and transportation infrastructure.
Road
Just across the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge, where wait times are a fraction of what they are at southern Ontario border crossings, lies Michigan, along with direct access to the United States customers via Interstate-75.
Sault Ste. Marie also has direct access to Canadian markets via Highway 17 (part of the Trans-Canada Highway), which links to the east coast, west coast and to Southern Ontario via Highway 400.
Marine
Sault Ste. Marie boasts a deep water marine port, and there are plans underway to develop a second one. Located on the St. Mary's River between lakes Huron and Superior, the port provides access to the St. Lawrence Seaway system, which serves a region that is home to more than 95 million people and accounts for about 45 percent of U.S. manufacturing.
The seaway is cost-competitive for shipping products both to and from the international marketplace. It can accommodate 1,000-foot freighters used on the Great Lakes, as well as ocean going vessels. More than 94 million net tons of freight moves through the Sault Ste. Marie Canal System each year.
Rail
Sault Ste. Marie has rail access to the North American marketplace via Canadian National, Canadian Pacific and Huron Central railways. These routes provide coast-to-coast service with access to manufacturing facilities in Canada and the United States.
With a rail bridge crossing the St. Mary's River into Michigan, Sault Ste. Marie also offers access to more than 10,000 U.S. route miles to links such as Detroit, Minneapolis, Chicago, Milwaukee and Duluth.
Air
The Sault Ste. Marie Airport features unrestricted landing (24 hours) with category five certification. The site boasts two 6,000' x 200' runways with approval in place for a 2,000' extension.
Sault Ste. Marie is serviced by a number of airlines, including:
- Air Canada, which flies to Toronto Pearson International Airport and, from there, other major centres around the world
- Porter Airlines, which flies to Toronto Island Airport and, from there, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Moncton, Halifax, St. John's, Thunder Bay, Sudbury, New York, Boston and Chicago
- Bearskin Airlines, which flies direct to Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, Sudbury, Timmins, Ottawa and numerous other locations in Northern Ontario and Manitoba
- Sunwing Vacations, which offers direct winter flights from Sault Ste. Marie Airport to Varadero, Cuba
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Delta Airlines, which flies daily to Detroit Metro Airport from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan