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Abstract
The Northern Plains-Pacific Northwest Economic Region (NORPAC) comprises a 12-state corridor between Chicago, Illinois, to the Pacific Northwest. This descriptive analysis provides a baseline of demographic, infrastructure, and freight movement information for discussing policy, investments, and planning related to freight mobility. The NORPAC region faces challenges in sustaining its transportation system as demand continues to outpace transportation resources as is the case for the nation. A primary four-state corridor of Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, and Washington faces unique challenges in dependence on highways and vast rural geography. This research is a first step in enhancing decisionmaking criteria for freight mobility in the NORPAC region. These freight mobility decisions are critical to the future work force and goods movements that enable the regional economy to successfully compete in a global marketplace.