Skip to main content
Skip to main content

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Charts of Note logo

Ethanol refineries locate near feedstock sources

  • by Economic Research Service
  • 4/4/2011
  • Bioenergy
  • Corn and Other Feed Grains
A map of the U.S. showing the production and number of ethanol plants by State in 2010.

Download chart image

Corn is the feedstock for 97 percent of the ethanol produced in the United States, so refineries are heavily concentrated in the Corn Belt. Ethanol must be shipped long distances, usually by rail, to reach the major fuel markets on the east and west coasts. Refineries also locate near markets for coproducts such as distillers' grains, which are sold as feed to the livestock industry. As new technologies enable the commercial production of ethanol and other biofuels from feedstocks such as prairie grasses, woody biomass, and urban wastes, refineries will likely be built in other parts of the country and production will be more geographically dispersed. This map is from the September 2010 issue of Amber Waves magazine.

Related Content

Get Charts of Note delivered!

Subscribe

See our Privacy Policy.