Welcome to Fort Wayne!
Fort Wayne is a city in the northeastern part of Indiana a state in the United States of America. It is 30 minutes from the western Ohio border and 70 minutes from the southern border of Michigan. With a population of around 260,000 in the city and 615,000 in the metropolitan area, it's Indiana's second largest city.
Fort Wayne is a metropolitan city with a small community feel. It provides the rush of urban activity while never losing an intimate personal connection with those who live or visit here. Fort Wayne is the second largest city in the state of Indiana, located in Allen County, the largest county in the state by geography. It is the regional commerce and industry center for Northeast Indiana and also impacts the economies of Southwestern Michigan and Western Ohio. Fort Wayne has been and is a breeding ground for entrepreneurs and high-tech industries.
The city has many historical buildings that usually offer regular tours. The city itself has a long history going back to the 1700s but has lately succumbed to the urban sprawl so widespread in the Midwest. It is nicknamed the "Summit City" because, even though the surrounding area seems completely flat, it is on the high point of the old Wabash-Erie canal.
Fort Wayne is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Indiana, United States. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is 18 miles (29 km) west of the Ohio border and 50 miles (80 km) south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 as of the 2020 Census, making it the second-most populous city in Indiana after Indianapolis, and the 76th-most populous city in the United States. It is the principal city of the Fort Wayne metropolitan area, consisting of Allen, Wells, and Whitley counties, with a combined population of 419,453 as of 2011. Fort Wayne is the cultural and economic center of northeastern Indiana. In addition to the three core counties, the combined statistical area (CSA) includes Adams, DeKalb, Huntington, Noble, and Steuben counties, with an estimated population of 615,077. Fort Wayne was built in 1794 by the United States Army under the direction of American Revolutionary War general Anthony Wayne, the last in a series of forts built near the Miami village of Kekionga. Named in Wayne's honor, the European-American settlement developed at the confluence of St. Joseph, St. Marys, and Maumee rivers as a trading post for pioneers. The village was platted in 1823 and underwent tremendous growth after the completion of the Wabash and Erie Canal and the advent of the railroad. Once a booming manufacturing town located in what became known as the Rust Belt, Fort Wayne's economy in the 21st century is based upon distribution, transportation and logistics, healthcare, professional and business services, leisure and hospitality, and financial services. The city is a center for the defense industry which employs thousands. There are also many jobs through local healthcare providers Parkview Health and Lutheran Health Network.
Fort Wayne was an All-America City Award recipient in 1983, 1998, 2009, and 2021. The city also received an Outstanding Achievement City Livability Award by the U.S. Conference of Mayors in 1999.