Defiance County Economic Development
1300 East Second Street
Suite 201
Defiance, OH 43512

Phone: (419) 784-4471
Phone: (800) 283-3342
Fax: (419) 784-4157

Jerry Hayes
Executive Director
defecon@defnet.com

Isaac Lee
Assistant Director
ilee@defecon.com

About the City of Defiance, OH

Defiance is the commercial and industrial hub of the six-county Northwest Ohio area. It is conveniently located within a one-hour drive of both Toledo and Fort Wayne. Cleveland, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Columbus, Detroit and Chicago are all within a half day's drive from Defiance County.

An excellent system of state and U.S. highways serve the transportation needs of the county. Intersecting in the City of Defiance are state routes 18, 15, 66, 111, 281, and 424. U.S. Route 24, a major route between Fort Wayne and Toledo, passes the city to the North. State Routes 127 and 18 intersect in the Village of Sherwood and State Routes 18, 49, and 2 pass through the Village of Hicksville.

The Ohio Turnpike (I-80/I-90) spans the state from east to west and is less than twenty miles from the City of Defiance and the Village of Hicksville.

Toledo Express and Fort Wayne International Airports, served by several national and international airlines, are located within an hour's drive from Defiance County. The Defiance County Memorial Airport features a 4,200-foot PLASI lighted runway with instrument approach, and provides facilities for corporate and private aircraft.

Maumee and Western Railroad and CSX Railroad serve Defiance County's rail needs. Eleven truck lines provide intrastate and interstate shipping. The Port of Toledo, located on Lake Erie, is less than 50 miles away from the City of Defiance.

 

Population of Location

Defiance County: 39,500
City of Defiance: 16,465
Village of Hicksville: 3,649
Village of Sherwood: 801
Village of Ney: 364
Surrounding Counties: 585,000

 

GDP by industry

Manufacturing - 17%
Real Estate - 14%
Wholesale/Retail Trade - 13%
Finance & Insurance - 11%
Information/Professional & Technical Services - 9%
Health Care & Social Assistance - 8%
Other - 28%

 

Workforce

2005 Civilian Labor Force 20,600

Employed 19,300

Unemployed

1,300

Unemployment Rate 6.2%

 

House prices

In Defiance, house prices range from $8,900 to $650,000. This includes double wides.

 

Transport & Logistics (airports, motorways & ports)

Defiance County is the economic hub of Northwest Ohio. Access to many modes of transportation is a strength for the county.

Highways
U.S. Route 24
State Route 15
State Route 2
State Route 49
State Route 18
State Route 111
State Route 66
State Route 249
State Route 127
State Route 424
State Route 281


Interstate
I-69 - 15 miles from Defiance County
80/90 Turnpike - 15 miles from Defiance County
1-75 - 30 miles from Defiance County

Rail
Defiance County is served by two railroads: CSX and Maumee & Western

Port
The Port of Toledo is 55 miles from Defiance County.

Air
Defiance Memorial Airport
Runway Length: 4,197 feet
Airport Type: General
Toledo Express Airport
Runway Length: 10,600 feet
Airport Type: General/Commercial
Distance from Defiance County: 40 miles
Fort Wayne International
Runway Length: 12,000 feet
Airport Type: General/Commercial
Distance from Defiance County: 20 miles
Detroit Metro Runway Length: 11,000 feet
Airport Type: General/Commercial
Distance from Defiance County: 100 miles

Education

Public School Systems
Ayersville Local School District
Central Local School District
Defiance City School District
Hicksville Exempted School District
Northeastern Local School District

County Teacher Population 474
Student/Teacher Ratio 15:1
Average ACT Score 22.14
Ohio ACT Score Average 21.4
National ACT Score Average 20.8

Vocational School System
Four County Career Center

Universities

Defiance College - a four-year private liberal arts school, Defiance College is recognized by the John Templeton Foundation as One of the Nation's Top Character-Building Colleges. The college's signature academic programs are accounting with a CPA track, criminal justice, forsensic science, elementary education, social work, and restoration ecology. The college does offer graduate-level programs for business students.

Northwest State Community College - located about 20 miles from the City of Defiance, Northwest State Community College offers two-year and four-year programs in business technologies, engineering technologies, and health and human services technologies. The college also provides customized training for area business and industry.

Other Colleges Located in a 50-mile Radius:
Indiana/Purdue at Fort Wayne 20 miles
Indiana Institute of Technology 25 miles
Tri-State University 35 miles
Bowling Green State University 40 miles
Bluffton University 45 miles
University of Findlay 45 miles
University of Northwestern Ohio 45 miles
Medical University of Ohio 48 miles
Ohio State University - Lima Campus 50 miles
University of Toledo 50 miles
Mercy College of Northwest Ohio 50 miles
Rhodes State College 50 miles