Find out all about our 2023 community activities & rich history
See What Makes Fort Wayne Notable & Unique
Fort Wayne is a business center and the second largest city in Indiana- 1st largest by size. Located in the northeast corner of the state at the confluence of three rivers, it is a diverse industrial and commercial center with an attractive downtown and a friendly, small-town feel for a city its size.
Fort Wayne’s industrial base has recovered from the 1980s decline of International Harvester and now includes a General Motors truck manufacturing plant, electronics manufacturer Motorola and telcom giant Verizon, mid-size electric motor and automotive suppliers, as well as the headquarters of Fortune 500 member Lincoln National Life Insurance. Despite the vulnerability of these industries, employment has held steady thanks to the area’s economic diversity.
The Cost of Living Index is low at 79.9 although matched by several Indiana cities. Housing is a good value at a median home price just over $100,000; good value is received per dollar spent.
The area has a better-than-average collection of small-scale arts-and-culture amenities for the type of town and some recreation in surrounding areas. There is now a lot to do around Fort Wayne and a strong community pride. While Fort Wayne has no outstanding draws like Disney Wold, it also has no severe drawbacks, hence the high ranking.
The surrounding area is generally level south and east of the city, rolling to the southwest, and quite hilly to the north and northwest. While the climate is influenced somewhat by the nearby Great Lakes, it does not differ greatly from that of other Midwestern cities of the same latitude. Summers are warm and humid. Winters are cool and cloudy, and occasionally very cold and windy. Annual precipitation is well distributed with somewhat larger amounts falling in late spring and early summer.
Snow squalls and winter-snow cover are common, but blizzards are infrequent. Summer thunderstorms are common and occasionally severe. The river confluence and low elevation has produced some severe floods. First freeze is mid-October, last is late April.
Interesting Facts about Fort Wayne, Indiana
As of 2015, Fort Wayne’s population is 253,617 people. Since 2000, it has had a population growth of 1.13 percent.
The median home cost in Fort Wayne is $98,500. Home appreciation the last year has been 0.90 percent.
Compared to the rest of the country, Fort Wayne’s cost of living is 16.30% Lower than the U.S. average.
Fort Wayne public schools spend $10,057 per student. The average school expenditure in the U.S. is $12,435. There are about 17.2 students per teacher in Fort Wayne.
The unemployment rate in Fort Wayne is 5.40 percent (U.S. avg. is 6.30%). Recent job growth is Positive. Fort Wayne jobs have Increased by 5.31 percent.
You can see all about the Fort Wayne Community Schools here
Fort Wayne’s Science of Storytelling
Two successful recent developments have enhanced the organization’s ability to share its mission. The organization’s new logo and marketing materials and the Science On a Sphere exhibit, which features a three dimensional research tool designed to educate visitors about earth and space systems have both received positive feedback from the community.
The Science On a Sphere exhibit is designed to appear to be rotating and floating in mid air, providing a highly visual experience for visitors of all ages with plans to have two-to-four traveling exhibits per year. Exhibits will feature a series of stations, computer interactives, and hands-on models for visitors to make learning fun.
In addition to this, Science Central continues to offer traveling labs, demonstrations, assemblies, and festivals at schools and other off site locations via The Outreach (Science4U) program.
Visit Science Central at 1950 N. Clinton St., Fort Wayne, Indiana 46805. For more information, visit their website at www.sciencecentral.org or call them at (260) 424-2400.
Useful Links to Fort Wayne
Northern Indiana Public Service Company
Water Company
Verizon
Comcast Cable
USPS
Allen County
Eating Downtown
Allen County Public Library
Embassy Theater
Fort Wayne Real Estate Club
Civic Theater
Ft Wayne Park Recreation
YMCA
Botanical Gardens
3 Rivers Festival