Three major components of Georgia’s transportation system are vital to the state’s economy - the interstate highway system, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and the deepwater ports of Savannah and Brunswick. Georgia has over twelve hundred miles of interstate highways which connect Georgia to neighboring states and the rest of the nation, connect Georgia’s major cities, and help move workers from their homes to places of employment in the major cities. Three of the interstate highways converge in Atlanta, making it (along with Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport) the transportation hub of the southeast. Atlanta is one of only five cities in the nation to be served by three separate interstate highways. Another highway (I-285) completely encircles Atlanta. I-75 extends from northwest Georgia to the southern border with Florida, passing through Atlanta and Macon. I-85 extends from northeast Georgia to the western border with Alabama, passing through Atlanta and near Columbus. I-20 crosses Georgia from east to west, passing through Augusta and Atlanta. I-95 extends along Georgia’s coast, passing near Savannah, while I-16 connects Macon and Savannah. Other interstate highways (see map below) run through smaller portions of Georgia, while others provide bypasses around major cities or spurs to other areas of Georgia. Combined, all of these interstate highways make moving products and people from one point in Georgia to another - or from Georgia to another state - relatively easy.
