Wayne County is located in proximity to four interstates and major U.S. highways, which means we have great access for transportation of goods and services. U.S. four-laned highways 84 and 45 intersect in the heart of Wayne County just northeast of Waynesboro. In fact, U.S. Highway 45 stretches from Mobile, Ala. to Ontonagon, Mich., and U.S. Highway 84 runs from Midway, Ga. to Pagosa Springs, Colo.
Mississippi Highway 63 extends from Waynesboro and State Line then on to the Gulf Coast at Pascagoula while Mississippi Highway 57 runs south from U.S. Highway 45 at State Line and merges with 63 in its trek to the coast.
Wayne County is surrounded by four interstates:
1-59, 28 miles away in Laurel
1-20, 52 miles away in Meridian
1-10 and I-65, 82 miles away in Mobile
Did you know Wayne County is within a day’s drive of 55 percent of U.S. businesses and major growth markets.
Mississippi’s highways have been rated best in the South, and fourth best in the nation. More than 1,077 miles of new four-lanes have been built since the 1980s as part of the state’s AHEAD program.
Four-lane highways in Wayne County
U.S. 84 – Beginning at the Mississippi-Alabama state line (east of Waynesboro in Wayne County), U.S. 84 is part of the El Camino Corridor. Traveling westward, the highway passes through Waynesboro, Laurel, Collins, Prentiss, Monticello, Brookhaven and Meadville then on to Washington and Natchez.
U.S. 45 – Beginning at the Mississippi-Alabama state line (just southeast of the State Line community), U.S. 84 extends in a generally north direction passing in or near to Waynesboro, Shubuta, Quitman, Meridian, Scooba, Macon, Brooksville, Columbus, Aberdeen, Nettleton, Shannon, Tupelo and Booneville before entering into Corinth and on to Tennessee.
Shielded four-lane state highways in Wayne County
Mississippi Highway 57 – Begins at U.S. Highway 45 at State Line and continues in a southwardly direction to Leakesville where the road jogs eastwardly and carries on to McLain, Avent, Benndale and Vancleve before terminating at Fontainebleau in Jackson County.
Shielded two-lane state highways in Wayne County
Mississippi Highway 63 – Begins at Mississippi Highway 184 in Waynesboro at the Wayne County Courthouse and continues in a southerly direction through the Clara community before entering Sand Hill and Leakesville. In Leakesville, the highway jogs eastwardly and becomes four lane before continuing southward toward Lucedale, Wade, Moss Point and Pascagoula.
Mississippi Highway 145 – These portions of highway were previously shielded as federal roads before bypasses were constructed. Highway 145 is in three separate sections in Wayne County – the route through Waynesboro (connecting with U.S. 45 north and south of Waynesboro), a short route in the Boice community (connecting with U.S. 45) and near Hiwannee at the county line leading into Shubuta (connecting with U.S. 45 and passing through Shubuta).
Mississippi Highway 184 — These portions of highway were previously shielded as federal roads before bypasses were constructed. Highway 184 is in three separate sections in Wayne County – the route through Waynesboro (connecting with U.S. 84 east and west of Waynesboro), just east of Waynesboro near the Country Club (connecting with U.S. 84), and near the Buckatunna Creek bridge (connecting with U.S. 84)
Mississippi Highway 510 – Begins on Mississippi Highway 145 just south of Shubuta and heads in an easterly direction to the Matherville community.
Unshielded state highways in Wayne County
Mississippi Highway 508 – Begins at U.S. 45 about six miles south of Waynesboro and runs in a southeasterly direction for about three miles to the site of the former Mississippi Forest Commission tree nursery. The road is commonly known as part of the Buckatunna-Mount Zion Road.
Mississippi Highway 536 – Begins at Mississippi Highway 63 and Camp Eight Road near Clara and continues in a generally westerly direction to Mississippi Highway 15 between Laurel and Richton. This is predominately a dirt road that is also part of the U.S. Forest Service road system (Road No. 201) through portions of the DeSoto National Forest. Commonly referred to as Strickland Road.
Rail
Meridian Southern Railway LLC provides shortline railroad service between Waynesboro and Meridian, Miss. The 55-mile link features transportation service to industries in the Wayne County Industrial Park. At Meridian, the local shortline ties into national rail services. Meridian Southern maintains its offices in Waynesboro on Highway 184 in the old depot building beside the railroad track.
In addition, efforts are under way to construct a rail connection from Waynesboro southward to Lucedale in an effort to tie the local rail lines into the Port of Pascagoula, Miss. The Rail Authority of East Mississippi, representing Wayne, Clarke, Lauderdale, Greene, George and Jackson counties, is spearheading this effort. For details, contact the RAEM at 601-735-5501.
Trucking Service(s)
14 common carriers in the region
Airports
Waynesboro Municipal Airport
The Waynesboro Municipal Airport has been a transportation fixture in the community since the mid-1960s, and continues to expand to meet the demands of increased traffic. Located adjacent to the Wayne County Industrial Park and just off Mississippi Highway 63 on Airport Road, Waynesboro Municipal Airport has a 5,000-foot runway and there are two hangars for aircraft storage on the 61-acre site.
In recent years, renovations have included a 24-hour credit card fueling station, where pilots can refuel their aircraft at any hour, and construction of new taxiways.
Other improvements have included construction of a new terminal building, which serves as a beautiful gateway to the community for the air-traveling public.
For information on the airport, call 601-735-9682 or 601-735-4874. Other details about the airport can be found on the city’s website — www.waynesboroms.us/airport.html.
Commercial airports
Hattiesburg-Laurel Regional Airport
Fifty-one miles away. South Mississippi’s gateway to the world, the Hattiesburg-Laurel Regional Airport (PIB) serves a 10-county region from its convenient location just off of Interstate 59 between Hattiesburg and Laurel. Delta provides commercial service for travelers flying in or out of the Hattiesburg-Laurel Regional Airport. The airport offers both commercial and general aviation services. For more on the airport, visit www.flypib.com.
Meridian Regional Airport
Fifty-three miles away. Conveniently located in East Mississippi, Meridian Regional Airport offers jet service, with two daily flights to Atlanta and two return flights via Delta Connections. For information, visit www.meridianairport.com.
Mobile, Alabama, Regional Airport
Eight-four miles away. U.S. Airways Express, Delta, United and American Eagle Airlines provides services with 25 daily departures to four of the nation’s largest hubs from Alabama’s Port City. For more information, visit www.mobairport.com.
Gulfport-Biloxi Regional Airport
Ninety-four miles away. Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport is served by five airlines — American Airlines/American Eagle, Delta, United, U.S. Airways and Vision Airlines — offering nonstop service to Atlanta, Ga.; Charlotte, N.C.; Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas; Houston, Texas; and St. Petersburg/Clearwater, Fla. For details, visit www.flygpt.com.
Jackson, Mississippi-Medgar Wiley Evers International
One hundred-thirty miles away. The Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport features non-stop service to nine cities daily via five passenger carriers — American Eagle, Delta, United, U.S. Airways and Southwest Airlines. For more information, visit www.jmaa.com/JAN.
Louis Armstrong (New Orleans) International Airport
One hundred eighty-two miles away. Louis Armstrong Airport, located near New Orleans in Kenner, offers service around the country and globe through carriers, which include American Airlines, Air Canada, JetBlue, Delta, Frontier, AirTran, United, U.S. Airways and Southwest Airlines. For details, visit http://www.flymsy.com/.
Ports
Port of Pascagoula
One hundred-three miles away in Pascagoula, Miss. This is the largest seaport in Mississippi, operated by Jackson County, with more than 35 million tons of cargo moving through the port annually. Pascagoula is comprised of public and private terminals and is a major U.S. port consistently ranking as a top 20 port in the nation for foreign cargo volume.
The port has facilities on the Pascagoula River (cold storage, warehouses and freezers) and at Bayou Casotte (warehouses, rail and berths). Private companies calling the port home include Ingalls Shipbuilding, Signal International, Chevron, Mississippi Phosphates, VT Halter Marine, Gulf LNG Energy and First Chemical Corp.
Imports include forest products, crude oil, phosphate rock, chemicals and aggregate.
Exports are made up of forest products, paper products, poultry, petroleum products, fertilizer, chemicals and project cargo.
For details on the Port of Pascagoula, visit http://www.portofpascagoula.com/.
Port of Mobile
Eight-two miles away in Mobile, Ala. Deepwater seaport facilities located on the central U.S. Gulf Coast. Features 4,000 acres of land with facilities on McDuffie Island, Choctaw Point, inland docks and other sides near Mobile. The facility has 41 berths and 4 million square feet of warehouse and open yard space. The channel depth is 45 feet to the George Wallace and Bankhead highway tunnels in Mobile and 40 feet in the river harbor.
Imports include heavy lift and oversize cargo, containers, coal. aluminum, iron, steel, copper, lumber, wood pulp, plywood, fence posts, veneers, roll and cut paper, cement and chemicals.
Exports include heavy lift and oversize cargo, containers, coal, lumber, plywood, wood pulp, OSB, laminate, flooring, roll and cut paper, iron, steel, poultry, soybeans and chemicals.
For details on the Alabama State Docks, visit www.asdd.com.
Mississippi State Port at Gulfport
One hundred thirty-three miles away. This deepwater port, owned by the Mississippi State Port Authority, is located on a 184-acre complex of public facilities sitting directly on the Gulf of Mexico. The channel is approximately 250 feet wide and 36 feet deep while the harbor and South Basin are 1,320 feet wide, 36 feet deep. The North Basin is 1.320 feet wide, 32 feet deep. Depths at berths range from 32 to 36 feet.
For information on the Port of Gulfport, visit www.portofthefuture.com.