Garrett County Government - Department of Business Development
Strategic Advantages

I-68 Regional Alliance

 
Recognizing that regionalism is an important economic tool for rural economic development, the I-68 Regional Alliance was created to help increase the economic prosperity along the I-68 corridor by broadening opportunities through job creation, diversification, expansion, and entrepreneurship.
 
More than 60 million U.S. households, representing approximately 158 million people, are located within a one-day drive of the region (600 miles).  This distance captures some of the nation's largest metropolitan areas, including, Washington, DC, New York City, Boston, Columbus, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Atlanta, St. Louis, and Northern Virginia.  Montreal, Toronto, and Ottawa are also located within a one-day drive.
 
The I-68 region's civilian workforce of approximately 130,000 increases to approximately 325,000, when the 12-county labor shed is considered.
 
I-68 connects to U.S. Routes 219 and 220 for north-south connectivity, as well as I-79 in Morgantown, West Virginia and I-70 in Hancock, Maryland.  I-70 provides connectivity to I-81 near Hagerstown.
 
Members of the I-68 Regional Alliance include:
 
  • Garrett County, Maryland
  • Allegany County, Maryland
  • Bedford County, Pennsylvania
  • Somerset County, Pennsylvania
  • Mineral County, West Virginia 
 
For additional information, please visit the I-68 Regional Alliance website.