Atlanta
Atlanta is a natural selection for one of the biggest logistic and freight hubs in the world. Multiple Atlanta major Interstates intersect in Atlanta, making it a logical selection for major shipping businesses to set up base there. It also features the busiest passenger airport in the US and possibly the world. And while not comparable to the passenger side of the airfare, the air freight business there is still sizeable compared to other places. Atlanta also features a large rail transportation business. Add all of this in addition to a rapidly growing population and below average living expenses for a city, and you have arguably the top logistic hub in America.
Chicago
Chicago, like Atlanta, makes the list for multiple reasons. The first being the railroad transportation system. While the importance of this mode of transport has lessened in the past years, it is still a major contribution to the importance of the Windy City. And in fact, what makes Chicago ‘The Windy City”, is also a major contributor to this list. The Great Lakes and it’s waterway accesses give Chicago port access to Global markets. Not to mention they are one of the leaders in the US in shipping through air freight.
Los Angeles
Like the previous two, Los Angeles is a Sprawling city that gives it access to an enormous number of workers. They need this, as they have a massive amount of intermodal business due to having the second largest port in the US. There are multiple airports in LA, giving it the ability to transport a huge amount of air freight, as well as featuring a stretching road system (even if the traffic takes a little longer.)
Houston
Houston is the outlier on this list if one had to be chosen. It boasts international trade due to its port, much like Chicago. This includes all over the world and the Caribbean Islands. Unlike Chicago, it benefits from international trade to the ground transportation industry as well. Houston is a major hub for products coming into the US from Mexico. And this all piggybacks on the airports and complex highway system. And while they may not be bigger than DFW, Houston has multiple airports for passenger and freight.
Dallas
Yes, there are two Texas Cities on the list. Dallas also has an enormous workforce and massive highway system. The city no doubt also benefits from incoming products from the southern border. But anyone that has flown into Dallas knows the main reason it makes this list. With the second biggest airport in the US (behind only Denver), it is a major air transportation hub for both people and freight. The Airport itself Is bigger than Manhattan, which lends itself to a lot of cargo being transported.
Memphis
Memphis may not be as large a city as all the others listed, but it is still an important one nonetheless. It’s on an intersection of some major interstates, so a lot of traffic moving in and out of the city. However, two factors help. Memphis had a great riverfront location, allowing for lots of activity through a port. In addition to this, FedEx made a ‘Superhub’ in Memphis, which facilitates more ground traffic.
(Kenco, https://blog.kencogroup.com/top-10-cities-for-a-distribution-center)
(Supply Chain, https://supplychaindigital.com/logistics/top-5-us-logistics-cities)