For the third year in a row, the City of Hilliard was named to the list of the Top7 Intelligent Communities in the world.
The announcement was made June 17 at the 2025 Top7 Conference in Las Rozas de Madrid, Spain.
The Top7 communities exemplify best practices in broadband deployment, workforce development, innovation, digital inclusion and advocacy, according to the New York City-based Intelligent Community Forum, which sponsors the awards program.
“We are proud and honored to be recognized among this select group of global cities that are advancing the principles of what it means to be an Intelligent Community,” said Hilliard City Manager Michelle Crandall. “This recognition is shared among all our residents, businesses, Hilliard City Schools, nonprofit organizations and City staff. It represents a commitment from our entire community to create an innovative economic ecosystem where everyone has access to opportunities to succeed.”
Last October, Hilliard was recognized as the first U.S. city to achieve certification as an Intelligent Community. This is the third year that Hilliard has competed in the awards program. The Top7 communities represent models of economic and social transformation in the 21st Century, according to the ICF.
In alphabetical order, the Top7 Intelligent Communities of 2025 are:
• Assaí, Paraná, Brazil
• Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, Türkiye
• Durham Region, Ontario, Canada
• Fairfield/Jefferson County, Iowa, USA
• Hilliard, Ohio, USA
• Kingston, Ontario, Canada
• Las Rozas de Madrid, Spain
Hilliard was previously named to the ICF’s international list of the Smart 21 communities at a summit in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada in March. Hilliard will now compete for the title of 2025 Intelligent Community of the Year, which will be named during the ICF Global Summit in Binh Duong Smart City, Vietnam, which will take place Dec. 2-5.
The awards competition requires communities to submit applications detailing programs and initiatives that determine their qualifications for the distinction of Smart 21 and Top7 Intelligent Communities. Those communities are then visited by an ICF auditor who reports their findings to an international jury, which then makes recommendations on the Intelligent Community of the Year.
This is the third year that Hilliard has submitted applications for the various stages of the program. In 2023 and 2024, Hilliard was named to both the Smart 21 and Top7 lists of Intelligent Communities worldwide.
