Surrounded by immense natural beauty and lush greenery, the city of Fort Wayne is a great place to visit with friends and family. From beautiful architectural landmarks, historical sites to interesting museums and some of the most well maintained verdant parks, Fort Wayne is also known for its several quirky facts.
Demographic and Geographical Fast Facts of Fort Wayne
- Fort Wayne belongs to the Allen County and is the second largest city in the US state of Indiana.
- With a population of 253,691 (2010), Fort Wayne is the 77th populous city in the country.
- Spread over 2805 acres, Fort Wayne is home to 86 public parks, out of which, Franke Park is the largest.
- Situated at the confluence of three major rivers - St. Joseph River, St. Mary’s River, and Maumee River, the city is known for its strategic location.
- Since the year 1990, Fort Wayne has been given the title of Tree City USA.
- Fort Wayne is also known as ‘The Summit City’, due to being at the highest location on the Wabash and Eire Canal.
- This city is home to several racial compositions including White (73.62%), Hispanic (7.96%) African American (15.41%), Native American (0.37%), Non-Hispanic White (70.3%), Asians (3.3%), Pacific Islander (0.06%), Other Races (3.72%) and Two or more Races (3.52%).
- Fort Wayne has the highest number of Burmese-American population, about 6000 people.
History Fast Facts of Fort Wayne
- On 4th May 1871, Fort Wayne hosted the first every professional baseball game.
- The city was originally founded as a trading post, where Europeans could start trading with the locals.
- Fort Wayne is named after Anthony ‘Mad’ Wayne, who was also the founder and Army General Officer.
Government and Economy Fast Facts
- Fort Wayne’s economy greatly depends on the manufacturing industry.
- The only Fortune 500 Company to be headquartered in Fort Wayne is Steel Dynamics.
- Fort Wayne is the heart of the country’s defense industry, which employs more than 2000 people.
Interesting and Important Fast Facts of Fort Wayne
- The city of Fort Wayne won the All American City Award in the years 1982, 1998, and 2009
- It also received the Outstanding Achievement City Livability Award in 1999.
- Indiana Michigan Power Center is the tallest building in Fort Wayne and in the state of Indiana (except Indianapolis).
- With a total of 360 churches, Fort Wayne is often known as the ‘City of Churches’.
- The famous Johnny Appleseed Park is named after John Chapman, who was also known as Johnny Appleseed by the locals.
- With more than 2000 roses, Lakeside Rose Garden is one of the largest rose gardens in USA.
- Fort Wayne is the birthplace of National Basketball Association (NBA).
- The city received the Gold Medal Award for its local park system.
- Three Rivers Festival and Johnny Appleseed Festival are the largest festivals in the city of Fort Wayne, attracting more than 400,000 people.
- Robert Frank Borkenstein, who invented the first ever Breathalyzer, was from Fort Wayne.
- Spread over 100,000 square feet, the famous Foellinger - Freimann Botanical Conservatory changes up seasonally.
- Fort Wayne houses 15 art galleries and museums, meaning history and native cultures are considered very serious over here.
- The city of Fort Wayne is home to two National Historic Landmarks – Allen County Courthouse and Richardville House.
- In Fort Wayne, men are not allowed to stand in a bar.
- It is also illegal to offer drinks on the house or carry a cocktail from bar to the table or drink beer from the bottle.
