Ford to move world headquarters from Dearborn Glass House to new campus, completion planned by 2026
Company describes relocation as a catalyst for innovation and a key step in its Ford+ transformation
Ford Motor Company on Tuesday announced it will relocate its world headquarters from the Glass House in Dearborn, Michigan, to a new site a few miles away, marking the automaker's first headquarters relocation in nearly seven decades. The new Ford World Headquarters is slated to officially open in November, with the transition from the Glass House to be completed in the first half of 2026. The Glass House, a glass-and-steel complex built in 1956, will be demolished over about 18 months after the move, as the company completes the full transition to the new campus.
Ford said the 2.1 million-square-foot building will be twice the size of the Glass House, and its design centers on bringing engineering, design and technology teams together under one roof. When fully staffed, the company estimates roughly 14,000 employees will be within a 15-minute walk of the headquarters, a feature Ford says will accelerate collaboration across disciplines. The site will anchor a broader campus that will carry the name Henry Ford II World Center, a nod to the former Ford chairman who led the company for more than three decades. In a letter to employees, Ford and executive leadership described the move as more than a new building—a catalyst for innovation and a physical symbol of Ford+'s transformation.
The building's amenities reflect Ford's emphasis on technology and employee well-being. Ford said the headquarters will house six design studios and a dedicated showroom for product reviews, along with a 160,000-square-foot food hall, wellness and mother’s rooms, and more than 300 tech-enabled meeting spaces designed to support collaboration and rapid decision-making. The project is being pursued as part of a broader effort to consolidate the company's product development, design and technology functions on a single campus. Construction at the site of the former Ford Product Development Center began decades ago, and the new headquarters will be situated on land that once hosted early developments for vehicles that defined Ford's postwar era.
That history runs deep on the Dearborn campus. The Ford Product Development Center opened in 1953, and Dwight D. Eisenhower was in attendance for the dedication, celebrated with the first-ever use of closed-circuit television to broadcast the ceremony. Over the years, the Dearborn site has been home to the development of several iconic vehicles, including the Mustang, Thunderbird, Continental, F-Series trucks, Ranger and Ford GT. Ford's leadership says the new headquarters will carry forward that legacy by placing engineering, design and technology teams in close proximity to speed decision-making and product iteration.
Officials described the transition as a major milestone in Ford's broader transformation plan. The company has long spoken of Ford+' as a framework for reorganizing its business around software-enabled mobility and customer experiences, and leaders say the new headquarters is a practical step in that strategy. By bringing teams together on a single, purpose-built campus, Ford aims to shorten product development cycles, improve alignment across functions and attract talent in a competitive market for technical skills.
Demolition of the Glass House will begin after the move is completed, with the old building expected to be razed over about 18 months. Ford said the transition also involves moving a host of supporting facilities, from visitor centers to conference spaces, into the new campus. The timing of the November opening and the 2026 completion window reflects the broader pace of the project, which Ford has described as a long-term investment in its product and technology capabilities.
The move marks a notable shift for Ford as it navigates a rapidly changing auto industry, with investors watching how the company can accelerate innovation and reduce time to market for new vehicles and software features. The new headquarters is intended to create a hub for collaboration and talent retention in a region where Ford has deep roots, just down the road from its current Glass House.
Analysts say the relocation underscores Ford's commitment to modernizing its operations and creating a centralized hub for product development and technology.
The Ford campus will be named Henry Ford II World Center, linking the project to the company's history while signaling a new era of integration and speed across its design, engineering and software functions.
