Each of the cities and villages of the River Bend area is also a bedroom community for people who work in St. Louis. Thousands of residents commute daily to jobs in the city or its Missouri suburbs. The beautiful Clark Bridge makes the commute special and trips to St. Louis possible and convenient. It's just 30 minutes to downtown St. Louis from Alton and only a few minutes more for residents in the farthest reaches of the River Bend area.
The drive is short and fast to Lambert St. Louis International Airport. The airport provides passenger and freight service to hundreds of cities worldwide. St. Louis Regional Airport, in Bethalto, offers air freight and charter services and is a base for local, private and corporate aircraft.
Throughout history, the Mississippi River has been a key in the economy of the area. Today, the Alton Barge Terminal is as busy as ever, shipping and receiving grains, petroleum products, coal, and other goods.
Five interstate highways – 55, 64, 70, 255, and 270 – are located between 5 and 30 minutes away. Five state highways and one federal highway – Illinois Routes 3, 100, 111, 140, and 143 and U.S. 67 – join the River Bend communities with the interstates and with neighboring towns and cities. The Clark Bridge, a four-lane, cable stayed, suspension bridge over the Mississippi carries U.S. 67 to and from St. Louis.
Public Transportation
Madison County Transit (MCT) enhances the mobility of the River Bend region by providing multi-modal transportation services. MCT operates a fixed-route bus service, connecting to MetroLink; express weekday commuter service directly to and from downtown St. Louis; and seasonal express service to the Rams games and the Muny. For elderly and disabled residents who are unable to use the fixed-route bus service, MCT provides paratransit bus service. MCT is also responsible for the construction and maintenance of more than 75 miles of trails in Madison County that comprise the MCT trails bikeway system, as well as overseeing RideFinders, the St. Louis region's FREE carpooling and vanpooling program. For more information on MCT services, routes and schedules, call (618) 931-7433, Option 3, or visit www.mct.org.
An Amtrak station in Alton hosts national rail service providing three round trips daily to Chicago's Union Station. Service is also available to St. Louis Union Station three times per day to connect to other trains across the United States.
