Memphis, Tennessee has developed into a major Mid-American commercial and transportation hub because of its location on the Mississippi River and a convergence of numerous rail and highway links. Four rail and highway bridges cross the Mississippi River at Memphis. In addition, Memphis International Airport has become the world's largest airfreight terminal.
Travel and shipment of freight are facilitated by two major Interstate highways, I-40 and I-55, that intersect at Memphis. I-240 is a highway spur that carries traffic around the city. A large volume of railroad freight traffic moves through Memphis, thanks to two Mississippi River railroad crossings and the convergence at Memphis of east–west with north–south rail routes. In addition, Memphis is the second busiest cargo port on the Mississippi River.
Local public transportation in the Memphis area is provided by the Memphis Area Transit Authority.
Highways
Interstates
Interstate 40 (I-40), its spur highway I-240 and I-55 are the main freeways in the Memphis area. I-40 and I-55 (along with rail lines) cross the Mississippi at Memphis from the state of Arkansas.
I-22 connects the southeast part of Memphis with Mississippi. I-269 is an outer beltway around the city, partially in Mississippi.
Future I-69 is planned for the Memphis area.
U.S. Highways
Memphis is served by seven primary U.S. highways, more than any other city in the Southeastern United States.
U.S. Route 51 (US 51) enters Memphis from the south along with SR 3 as Elvis Presley Boulevard. The road changes names to Bellevue Boulevard before meeting Union Avenue. US 51 continues along Union Avenue to Danny Thomas Boulevard, which eventually changes into Thomas Street. The route then heads north towards Millington. US 61 enters the city from the south along with SR 14 as Third Street. The highway travels to E.H. Crump Boulevard, turning west and eventually crossing the Memphis & Arkansas Bridge. US 64 enters with Interstate 55 (I-55) on the Memphis & Arkansas Bridge, traveling along various streets until eventually heading east from the city along Stage Road towards Somerville. US 70 and US 79 travel concurrently in the entirety of the city, traveling from the Memphis & Arkansas Bridge along various streets until eventually meeting Summer Avenue. The two highways continue to the northeast, paralleling I-40 towards Brownsville. US 72 travels through Memphis along Poplar Avenue, one of the city's main roads. It leaves the city at the city limits of Germantown. US 78 leaves the city traveling to the southeast. The west end of US 78 begins in Memphis on Linden Avenue at the intersection of 2nd Street. As it leaves Memphis, US 78 follows Lamar Avenue, historically known as Pigeon Roost Road for the nestings of passenger pigeons formerly in the vicinity.
Railroad
A large volume of railroad freight traffic moves through Memphis, thanks to two Mississippi River railroad crossings and the convergence of east–west rail routes with north–south routes.
Memphis had two major rail passenger stations, Memphis Union Station, razed in early 1969, and Memphis Central Station, which has been renovated. The Central Station renovation was completed in November 1999.
City of New Orleans
Central Station serves Amtrak's City of New Orleans route between Chicago and New Orleans.
Amtrak Train 59, the southbound City of New Orleans, is scheduled to depart Memphis at 6:50am daily with service to Greenwood, Yazoo City, Jackson, Hazlehurst, Brookhaven, McComb, Hammond, and New Orleans.
Amtrak Train 58, the northbound City of New Orleans, is scheduled to depart Memphis at 10:40pm daily with service to Newbern-Dyersburg, Fulton, Carbondale, Centralia, Effingham, Mattoon, Champaign-Urbana, Kankakee, Homewood, and Chicago.
Freight
Five Class I railroads operate in Memphis: Union Pacific (UP), Norfolk Southern (NS), Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF), CSX Transportation (CSXT), and Canadian National (CN). Short-line railroad RJ Corman also owns track branching off of BNSF's Memphis Intermodal Facility. Memphis Intermodal Facility - Tennessee Yard is one of ten freight rail facilities located in Memphis. The others are Leewood Yard (CSXT), Sargent Yard (UP), Forrest Yard (NS), Yale Yard (BNSF), Harrison (Johnson) Yard (CN), CN supply chain solutions, Port of Memphis (CN), and Intermodal Gateway (CN, CSXT). Of these facilities, the only ones capable of loading and unloading containers are Forrest Yard, Intermodal Gateway, and Memphis Intermodal Facility.