Ford River Rouge Complex
Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, Michigan
The Rouge in Dearborn, built from 1918 to 1928, was Henry Ford's vertically integrated complex with 93 buildings, its own foundry, coke ovens and paper mill. Today its Dearborn Truck Plant builds the aluminum-body F-150, and The Henry Ford runs a public tour with a walkway over the assembly line.
- Company
- Ford Motor Company
- Status
- Operating
- Opened
- 1928
- Employees
- 6,000
- reference
- Industry
- Vehicles
- Revised
- November 11, 2026
What is made here
Ford F-150 pickups at the Dearborn Truck Plant, plus the F-150 Lightning at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center.
Facts
| Built | 1917-1928 (reference: en.wikipedia.org) |
|---|---|
| Scale | 93 buildings and nearly 16 million square feet of factory floor space (reference: en.wikipedia.org) |
| Living roof | 454,000 square feet on Dearborn Truck Plant, one of the world's largest living roofs (company: thehenryford.org) |
| Land today | About 600 acres as of 2018, down from an original 2,000 acres (reference: detroithistorical.org) |
| First product | Eagle Boats for the U.S. Navy in 1918 (reference: detroithistorical.org) |
Figures are as stated by the source named next to each one. Company figures are the company's own claims.
Can you visit?
Yes: Ford Rouge Factory Tour has hours, booking and age rules checked on the operator's site.
Sources
- Detroit Historical Society: Ford Rouge Complex (reference, checked November 11, 2026)
- Wikipedia: Ford River Rouge complex (reference, checked November 11, 2026)
- The Henry Ford: Ford Rouge Factory Tour (company, checked November 11, 2026)
Something changed? Send a correction with a link and we'll recheck it.