NORTH CENTRAL INDIANA
Area Profile
Any way you look at it, North Central Indiana produces. We’re a five-county region in the heart of Indiana’s manufacturing and agribusiness core, combining the rich resources of Cass, Clinton, Fulton, Howard, and Miami Counties.
We produce food, manufactured goods, and skilled workers who take pride in hard work and productivity. And we deliver what we produce to the nation, thanks to logistics leaders and a network of Interstate and Interstate-quality highways like the new Hoosier Heartland corridor, I-65, and improvements to US 31- as well as major Class 1 and regional rail lines.
North Central Indiana has remained productive in the face of economic change because of our enduring focus on education. Our communities offer highly ranked K-12 schools, and local workers constantly prepare for tomorrow’s needs with extensive higher education resources such as multiple Ivy Tech Community College campuses, Indiana University’s Kokomo campus, and Purdue University Polytechnic Institute - Kokomo.
Our economic strength and supply of eager workers becomes even more powerful when you consider our affordable land costs, low business and property taxes, and utility costs that are far below most of the nation. In every way, if your goal is to maximize productivity, North Central Indiana is the place to be.
REGIONAL OVERVIEW
What is North Central Indiana? It’s a five-county region in the heart of Indiana’s agribusiness and manufacturing core, centrally located within the state and the surrounding area, and home to more than 400,000 workers. In fact, we’re fortunate to have remarkable connectivity in all directions, with Interstate-quality state and federal highways that put six of the nation’s main Interstates within an hour. We’re also close to major freight hubs and international airports, including the FedEx Indianapolis hub. Our region is also home to the Grissom Aeroplex and its 12,500 foot runway, the longest in the State of Indiana.
Our partner counties provide a sustainable mix of wide-open rural land, picturesque and highly livable small towns, and medium-size cities that provide affordable living for workers and the kinds of resources you’d normally associate with bigger cities.
That mix of locations and resources explains what has drawn such a wide range of companies in growth industries to our area. As you look around, you’ll see companies involved in advanced manufacturing, agricultural production, food processing, logistics facilities, and serving the aerospace industry. Learn more about our partner counties below.
NCIEDP PARTNER COUNTIES
CASS COUNTY
Cass County is a rural community located in north central Indiana bordered by Carroll, Fulton, Howard, Miami and Pulaski Counties.
CLINTON COUNTY
Clinton County's close proximity to Lafayette, Kokomo, and Indianapolis and easy access to State Road 28, US 52, and I-65 makes it a desirable location to live and work.
FULTON COUNTY
Fulton County is centrally located between Chicago and Indianapolis. The region boasts a dedicated workforce, a vibrant agriculture industry and strong manufacturing base.
HOWARD COUNTY
Kokomo and Howard County have been called a lot of things: a 'top city for Indiana families', a 'best city for U.S. job seekers', a nationally-ranked community for advanced manufacturing, exports, and affordability, and even an 'Indiana community of the year'.
MIAMI COUNTY
Located in the heart of the North Central Indiana, Miami County is truly the “crossroads” of the region. Two intersecting US four-lane highways (US 24 and US 31) provide access to six different interstate systems within 1-hour drive from anywhere in the County. Additionally,’
the longest runway in the State of Indiana at 12,500 ft, at the Grissom Aeroplex, offers tremendous opportunities for manufacturing, logistics, or aircraft maintenance and repair
operations.