5,293 active companies are based in Darlington according to Companies House records. Out of 7,193 companies ever registered here, 889 are no longer active — a 74% survival rate. The area has seen significant recent growth, with 57.9% of active businesses incorporated since 2020. Over half (74%) of active companies were formed since 2020, making this one of the UK's fastest-growing business locations. The most common industry sector is other letting and operating of own or leased real estate, with 290 companies. Darlington is home to 152 FCA-regulated firms and 54 registered charities. Companies here hold 180 government contracts worth £593.0M in total. The average company age is 7.8 years. The earliest company registration in Darlington dates back to 1883.
Source: Companies House register via UVAGATRON, October 2026
Darlington is a growth hotspot — over half of its active companies were formed since 2020.
The average active company in Darlington is 7.8 years old. There are 152 <Link href="/glossary/fca-financial-conduct-authority">FCA-regulated firms</Link> in the area. 54 registered charities operate locally.
Companies in Darlington have been awarded 180 government contracts with a combined value of £593.0M. See the Top Government Contractors report.
There are 5,293 active companies registered in Darlington, out of 7,193 total. 889 (12%) are no longer active.
The top industries in Darlington include Other letting and operating of own or leased real estate (290 companies), Buying and selling of own real estate (218 companies), Management consultancy activities other than financial management (197 companies).
57.9% of currently active companies in Darlington were incorporated since 2020, indicating strong recent growth.
Our database contains 46,054 data signals across 12 categories for active companies in Darlington. The largest category is Governance with 22,146 signals from 6 sources.
The oldest company registration in Darlington dates back to 1883, spanning over 143 years of business history.