Why Morton, Illinois?
Central Location
Morton is located 10 miles east of Peoria and 25 miles west of Bloomington-Normal, two growing, metro areas. The community is also strategically placed 3 hours or less from several cities including Chicago, Illinois and Saint Louis, Missouri.
Two Interstates
Morton lies at the crossroads of Interstate 74 and Interstate 155, two heavily traveled Interstates with access across the nation. Both of these interstates connect to Interstate 55 and Interstate 39 less than 25 miles from Morton. We are also home to several large logistics companies including CAT Logistics, G&D Integrated, Star Transport, CRST, Central Truck, Inc. and Air-Land Transport Service.
Rail & River Access
Morton employers have the option to utilize rail and river transportation to reduce their costs. Norfolk & Western Railroad and the Toledo, Peoria & Western Railroad provide railway service to our community and several barge terminals are available along the Illinois River, just 10 miles away.
Regional and International Airports
Morton has three airports located within a 45 mile radius of the community including the Peoria International Airport (20 miles), Central Illinois International Airport in Bloomington-Normal (30 miles), and the Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport in Springfield (45 miles). The community is also 3 hours or less from the Chicago O-Hare International Airport, the Lambert-Saint Louis International Airport, and the Indianapolis International Airport.
High Traffic Counts
Morton has the second highest traffic counts in the Peoria-Pekin MSA Area with over 54,000 cars per day traveling on Interstate 74. Interstate 155 has over 22,000 cars per day.
Low Gas Rates
Morton owns their own gas company, an advantage that saves our local companies up to 7% on their gas rates each year.
Low Tax Rates
Morton offers one of the lowest property and sales tax rates in the region for our residents and employers. Our property tax is 6.51 and our sales tax is 7.0%. Both rates are significantly lower than our neighboring communities of Peoria, Pekin, East Peoria, Dunlap, and Washington.
Access to Your Workforce
Morton’s employers have been successful at attracting a skilled workforce to the community from throughout Central Illinois, a metro area that exceeds 350,000 people. The number of Primary Jobs located in Morton has increased by 24% from 2002-2008 compared to the MSA which has grown 7.2% in the same time period and only 2.3% in the State of Illinois. Both age distribution and distribution of earnings paid is consistent with that of the Peoria MSA and the State of Illinois.
Proximity to Growing Markets
Morton has over 1 million people located within a 60 mile radius of the community…and that number keeps growing.
Available, Shovel-Ready Land
Morton offers several light industrial sectors, office parks, and retail districts that are ready for construction. Infrastructure is in place, providing shovel-ready sites that can save you time and money!
Best Schools in the Region
Morton District 709 continues to be recognized for "excellence in education" and continues to strive to meet the needs of all students. In 2010 the staff at Morton High School was recognized with the Red Quill Award from ACT. The 2010 graduates had an average ACT composite score of 23.7 up from 23.5 in 2009 (the national average composite score for 2010 is 21). Morton High School was named a Bronze Medal School in 2008 by US News and World Report and one of the top 50 high schools in the state in 2007 and 2008 by the Chicago Sun Times. According to the Illinois Interactive Report Card, 91% of all students in District 709 were in the "meets or exceeds" category for all tests.
In addition to our high achieving primary schools, Morton has convenient access to Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois Central College in East Peoria, Eureka College, Illinois State University and Illinois Wesleyan College in Bloomington-Normal for higher education and workforce training programs.