5,369 active companies are based in Darlington according to Companies House records. Out of 6,599 companies ever registered here, 68 are no longer active — a 81% survival rate. The area has seen significant recent growth, with 57.7% of active businesses incorporated since 2020. Over half (64%) 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 285 companies. Darlington is home to 153 FCA-regulated firms and 57 registered charities. Companies here hold 183 government contracts worth £595.7M in total. The average company age is 7.7 years. The earliest company registration in Darlington dates back to 1883.
Source: Companies House register via UVAGATRON, August 2026
Darlington is a growth hotspot — over half of its active companies were formed since 2020.
The average active company in Darlington is 7.7 years old. There are 153 <Link href="/glossary/fca-financial-conduct-authority">FCA-regulated firms</Link> in the area. 57 registered charities operate locally.
Companies in Darlington have been awarded 183 government contracts with a combined value of £595.7M. See the Top Government Contractors report.
There are 5,369 active companies registered in Darlington, out of 6,599 total. 68 (1%) are no longer active.
The top industries in Darlington include Other letting and operating of own or leased real estate (285 companies), Buying and selling of own real estate (214 companies), Management consultancy activities other than financial management (210 companies).
57.7% of currently active companies in Darlington were incorporated since 2020, indicating strong recent growth.
Our database contains 34,448 data signals across 12 categories for active companies in Darlington. The largest category is Governance with 16,582 signals from 6 sources.
The oldest company registration in Darlington dates back to 1883, spanning over 143 years of business history.