Osceola County is positioning itself to take as much advantage of the new Highway 60 expansion as possible. The Osceola County Board of Supervisors has purchased forty (40) acres of land adjacent to Highway 60 and Highway 9 and is in the process of providing the necessary infrastructure improvements to the site. They have also established a tax increment financing district in conjunction with the City of Sibley. These two units of government recognize that by working together they can best accommodate any interested company that wished to relocate or expanding this area.

The newly expanded Highway 60 Corridor will be an extremely attractive location for manufacturing and distribution operations. Companies locating in Osceola County can reap the benefits of fast, economical access to major cities such as Kansas City, MO, Omaha, NE, Sioux City, IA, Mankato, MN, and Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN. “Being directly connected to three four lane highways/interstates (I-90, I-29, I-80) plus closely connected to other interstates (I-35, I-70) makes Osceola County and the Northwest Iowa area more marketable,” says Kirk Grau, Executive Director of the Osceola County Economic Development Corporation (OCEDC). Because of the markets that the Highway 60 Corridor can reach, we are perfectly position to be a hub for the Midwest, with pokes to destinations east (Chicago, St. Louis) and west (Denver, Sioux Falls.) The Highway 60 Corridor provides transportation alternatives and efficiencies to companies that want reduced freight costs, making time savings, highway accessibility, proximity to suppliers an other intermodel connections such as rail which makes it easier for companies to grow in Northwest Iowa.

The Highway 60 Corridor south connects LeMars, IA with Highway 75 and that connects with I-29 at Sioux City, IA. I-29 southward connects with I-80, I-35 and ultimately I-70 at Kansas City, MO. Northward, the Highway 60 Corridor connects I-90 at Worthington, MN on through to Mankato on up to the Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN. Although our area is within 500 miles of 20-25% of the nation’s population, our area is perceived as remote, with poor transportation access. This perception is simply not true!

Northwest Iowa has ideal qualifications for companies wishing to relocate and/or expand. The Highway 60 Corridor is an ideal site for distribution facilities of any size. The Highway 60 Corridor connects us to major business centers in the Midwest and beyond. With its easy transportation access, low cost of living, strong work ethic and labor pool, and a high quality of life, the highway 60 Corridor is a viable candidate for any company’s short list of potential manufacturing and/or distribution center sites. The Highway 60 Corridor provides access to tremendous education resources, such as the Northwest Iowa Community College, Dort College, Morningside College, and others. The cost of living, growing economy and the quality of life attracts people and companies to our area. Companies can logistically satisfy growing customer demand to the east and to the west. Good interstates and highways run in every direction. From a labor standpoint, Iowa has a strong work ethic and small town values.