Sacramento in top 50 of logistics-friendly cities

9:57 AM PDT Tuesday

Sacramento in top 50 of logistics-friendly cities

Sacramento ranks No. 31 on a list of the most logistics-friendly cities in the United States, according to a study conducted by Expansion Management and Logistics Today magazines.

The study ranks 362 metropolitan areas in the country based on their transportation infrastructures, according to the report.

"Whether a company is setting up a manufacturing facility, distribution center, retail outlet or whatever, it is absolutely critical that the location it chooses be supported by a robust transportation infrastructure," according to the magazines' researchers. "Regardless of the specific type of facility, it will need to be able to quickly and economically move raw materials, supplies and finished products in and out."

The site selection ranking annually evaluates the overall logistics infrastructure based on 10 categories: the transportation and distribution industry, transportation and distribution work force, road infrastructure, road congestion, road conditions, interstate highway access, vehicle taxes and fees, railroad access, water port access and air cargo access.

Sacramento's best showing in any category was in the work-force category; its worst was in the roads criterion.

Topping this year's list as the most logistics-friendly metro is New York City, followed by Houston, Chicago, Cleveland and Detroit.

St. Louis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, San Francisco/Oakland, Kansas City, Mo./Kansas City, Kan., and Jacksonville, Fla., round out the top 10, according to the report. The study was done before the recent hurricanes wreaked havoc on the Gulf Coast.

Sacramento tied with Albany, N.Y., for the No. 31 slot. San Antonio was No. 33.

Stockton weighed it at No. 72, while Vallejo/Fairfield was at No. 204. Yuba City/Marysville finished 348th.

Chico fared the worst among California metro areas, seven ranks below Yuba City/Marysville and seven notches above the basement-dweller, Goldsboro, N.C.

Los Angeles was No. 14. Riverside/San Bernardino/Ontario finished 51st. Stockton was No. 72. The mags adjudged San Jose as 105th. Bakersfield and Fresno checked in at 139th and 146th, respectively. El Centro was No. 167. Santa Barbara weighed in at No. 183. Visalia/Porterville was a dozen ranks below Santa Barbara. Oxnard/Thousand Oaks/Ventura claimed the 230th spot, immediately followed by Modesto. Santa Rosa/Petaluma was 241st. Hanford/Corcoran was No. 286 in the eyes of the magazines' judges. Santa Cruz/Watsonville weighed in at 291st. Salinas was No. 314. Merced checked in at No. 322. San Luis Obispo/Paso Robles was 336th.