Westmeath's position in the midlands of Ireland is one of great importance to the county. Its central location has been a major factor in its increased population and in the setting up of new business there.
As over half the country is only one hour's drive away and Dublin is only 80kilometres away, many industries have located in Westmeath. In addition, there are quite a few state and semi-state bodies in the county. For example, the Department of Education and Revenue Commissioners are based in Athlone as are the regional centres of FÁS and Enterprise Ireland.
Transport
Six of the country's major road routes flow through County Westmeath. They are the N4, N6, N51, N52, N55 and the N62. The N4, which bypasses Mullingar is the primary route between Dublin and Sligo. Meanwhile, the N6 which connects Dublin and Galway goes through Athlone.
The railway network is of similar importance to Westmeath. Each day, there are close to ten services from Mullingar to Dublin while the train station in Athlone offers a regular number of trains to both Dublin and Galway.