For a long time the Nikolaev region is one of the most important centers of international economic and transport communication. The following international transport passages go through the territory of the Nikolaev region:
- Euro-Asian: Odessa-Nikolaev-Kherson-Jankoy-Kerch;
- of the Black Sea economic cooperation: Reni-Ismail-Odessa-Nikolaev-Kherson-Melitopol-Berdyansk-Mariupol-Novoazovsk
There is a strong transport system in the region, which includes railway, sea, river, motor, aircraft and pipeline transportation.
Motor transport plays an important part in inter-city transportation and transportation within the region. Motor roads Nikolaev-Odessa-Kishinev, Nikolaev-Simpheropol, Nikolaev-Kirovograd and etc. go through the territory of the region.
The length of motor roads for general use is 4800 km, 4773 km of them have hard surface (99,4% of the total length).

Water transport is represented with 4 seaports and 1 river port, and with some private terminals. Water area is connected with the sea though Dnepro-Bugsky firth canal. The canal begins at the isle of Berezan, and extends to 44 miles to the port of Nikolaev. Width of the canal is 100 m, depth – 10,5. Navigation is all-the year-round.

Nikolaev Trade Sea Port was founded in 1798. The territory of the port is 94,0 ha, its water area is 225,0 ha, the total length of the port berths is 2920 m, permissible draft at berths is 10,3 m. Number of berths is 15. The calculated turnover of goods is 9 mln. tons per year.
Nikolaev port elevator is situated in the port, branch enterprise of GAK “Khleb Ukrainy” with the capacity 60 thousand tons. The elevator can process up to 1 mln. t of grain per year.
The specialized sea port “Oktyabrsk” was founded in 1965. The port has 7 deep-water berths with the total length 9 km, and specializes in metal processing, handling of machinery, equipment, and cargos in boxes, containers and other general cargos. The designed volume of the cargo handling constitutes 1 mln.tons of general cargos per year.
There is a complex for transshipment of edible oils and molasses, “Terminal-Ukrpishchesbytsyryo”, Ltd., on the territory of Dnepro-Bugskiy Commercial Sea Port.
The branch establishment “Nikolaev River Port” of ASK “Ukrrechflot”, founded in 1882, includes cargo area and zone for passengers, and workshops for vessel repair. The River Port has 7 freight berths with the length of 858 running meter. The port capacity in cargo handling constitutes 6 mln. tons per year.
Grain transshipment terminal of JV “Nibulon” was created in 2003. It has got two modern granaries with the capacity 50 thousand t of grain each, the berth length is 352 m. The designed capacity of the complex is up to 1,3 mln. t of grain cargoes per year.
JSC “Nikolaev Potassium Terminal “Nika-Tera” is situated in Nikolaev, on the left bank of Dnepro-Bugsky firth. It is intended for transshipment of 2 mln. t of fertilizers and grain cargos per year.
Railway transport: locomotive and wagon depots, railway stations (subordinate to Odessa railway), Olshanskoye inter-branch enterprise of industrial railway transport. The operational length of general purpose railway lines is 700 km, 37% of them are provided with electric power.
Air transport is represented with two airports and air companies based therein. The utility company the “International airport “Nikolaev” enters into the number of biggest and technically equipped airports in the South of Ukraine. It’s the airport of "V" (B) class, has a take-off and landing strip of 2550х44 m, which can accept aircrafts with landing weight of 220 tons.
Airdrome “Kulbakino" has got the 1st class, it is equipped with the concrete take-off and landing strip of 3250х80 m and covering thickness 44 cm, it can take aircrafts with landing weight of 200 tons.