Fort Wayne is named after Gen. "Mad" Anthony Wayne. The United States Army built this last in a series of forts near the community of Kekionga, the largest of all Miami villages, which is located where the St. Joseph River and St. Marys River join to form the Maumee River.

Job Market/Employment
Historically, Fort Wayne was known as a major manufacturing center of the northeastern United States. Major employers included General Electric, Westinghouse, International Harvester, and Tokheim gasoline pumps. Fort Wayne was also home to manufacturers that comprised the largest concentration of copper and enamel wire manufacturing in the world. Due to the shifts in manufacturing patterns, in the latter half of the 20th century, the number of manufacturing plants and jobs was cut significantly. While the top employer of full-time employees in Fort Wayne is still General Motors, there has also been a transition of the city’s economy to health services, aerospace and communications engineering, insurance and consumer services. You can use our search tools to locate an apartment for rent near your employer.

Cost of Living/Housing
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 205,727 people, 83,333 households, and 50,666 families residing in the city. There are 90,915 housing units at an average density of 1,151 houses/condos per square mile. Approximately 38% of residents in Fort Wayne rent their homes and the median rent for apartments and houses in Fort Wayne is $568 per month.

Demographics/Neighboring Towns
In the city the population is spread out with 27.0% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age of Fort Wayne residents is 33 years and the male to female ration is approximately even with 48% of the population male and 52% female. The median income for a household in the city is $36,518. Neighboring towns include New Haven, Huntertown, Leo-Cedarville, Ossian and Zanesville. There are many universities in and around Fort Wayne including Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, Ivy Tech Community College and Indiana University.

Recreational Activities and Attractions
There is much to do for the visitor in Fort Wayne- American history, exotic animals, and beautiful botanical gardens highlight sightseeing activities. There are eleven museums and historical sites located within walking distance in the downtown area. The Lincoln Museum is the world’s largest private museum and contains an impressive collection of possessions, paintings and photographs of Lincoln and his family as well as a rare edition of the Emancipation Proclamation signed by Lincoln in 1864. There is also the Fort Wayne Museum of Art, The History Center, the Diehm Museum of Natural History and the Fort Wayne Firefighters Museum.

Fort Wayne is home to one of the Midwest's largest enclosed malls—Glenbrook Square—that contains four anchor department stores and more than 160 specialty shops and stores. With over 600 restaurants, Fort Wayne has long billed itself as "The City of Restaurants” and offers many regional favorites such as traditional farm-style meals. The night life in Fort Wayne does not center around the downtown area like most cities. The downtown night life is generally located on the small strip named Columbia Street or "The Landing" near the City County Building as well as a few dance clubs and the corner bar "Columbia Street West" (Current Name) which is home to the Midwest Original Music Showcase (MOMS). Fort Wayne is home to Piere’s, the largest bar/club in the Midwest. For theater buffs, there is also the Embassy Theater which is considered one of the country’s most lavish architectural works and the Fort Wayne Civic Theatre which plays Broadway-style shows.

For those that prefer nature, there is the Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory that preserves rare and exotic tropical plants from around the world in its three gardens and Lakeside Rose Garden in northeast Fort Wayne, with 2,500 labeled plants, which is recognized as one of the largest rose gardens in the country. Various parks include Old Farm Park, Franke Park, home to the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo, Johnny Appleseed Park and Salomon Farm Park. The Rivergreenway Trail, a 15-mile-long trail along the banks of the city's three rivers, is ideal for bicycling, hiking, jogging, or rollerblading.

Climate
Fort Wayne, like most of the Midwest, has a humid continental climate. Summers are hot and humid, and winters are generally cold with frequent snowfall. Precipitation is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. Severe weather is not uncommon, and tornadoes occasionally occur in the area, particularly in the spring and summer.