Fort Wayne, Indiana

Fort Wayne is a city located in Allen County in northeastern Indiana. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 205,727. It is named after a U.S. military fort established in 1794 by Gen. Anthony Wayne where the St. Joseph River and St. Marys River join to form the Maumee River. The city is the county seat of Allen County⁶.

Historically the site was known as Kekionga, a settlement occupied by the Miami Indians.

Modern Fort Wayne is set in a productive agricultural area, but is also an important industrial and transportation hub. Fort Wayne straddles Interstate 69, and is served by Norfolk Southern, Conrail and CSX rail lines as well as Fort Wayne International Airport and Smith Field regional airport.

Colleges and universities include Indiana University/Purdue University Fort Wayne, Ivy Tech State College, Taylor University Fort Wayne and University of Saint Francis. Concordia Theological Seminary of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod is also located in Fort Wayne, as is the Fort Wayne Center for Medical Education (a branch of Indiana University School of Medicine).

Geography

Fort Wayne is located at 41°4'42" North, 85°7'36" West (41.078348, -85.126546)¹.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 204.9 km² (79.1 mi²). 204.5 km² (78.9 mi²) of it is land and 0.4 km² (0.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.21% water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 205,727 people, 83,333 households, and 50,666 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,006.1/km² (2,605.7/mi²). There are 90,915 housing units at an average density of 444.6/km² (1,151.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 75.45% White, 17.38% African American, 0.39% Native American, 1.56% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.91% from other races, and 2.26% from two or more races. 5.78% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 83,333 households out of which 31.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.9% are married couples living together, 14.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 39.2% are non-families. 32.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.3% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.41 and the average family size is 3.08.

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 is 33 years. For every 100 females there are 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 90.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $36,518, and the median income for a family is $45,040. Males have a median income of $34,704 versus $25,062 for females. The per capita income for the city is $18,517. 12.5% of the population and 9.6% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 17.5% are under the age of 18 and 7.6% are 65 or older.

Famous natives and former residents of Fort Wayne

• DeMarcus Beasley, professional soccer player for Chicago Fire and the US national team
• Bill Blass, fashion designer
• Dan Butler, actor Frasier
• Heather Headley, Tony Award-winning singer/actress
• Stephen King, author
• Carole Lombard, actress
• Shelley Long, actress, Cheers
• Amanda Perez, R&B singer
• Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy's restaurant chain
• Rod Woodson, athlete - NFL Oakland Raiders

Famous fictional characters from Fort Wayne

• Frank Burns, fictional doctor, M*A*S*H
• Fawn Liebowitz, fictional character, Animal House