State of Ohio
Flag Seal
Nickname(s): The Buckeye State; The Mother of Presidents; Birthplace of Aviation; The Heart of It All
Motto(s): With God, all things are possible
Official language(s)	None. (English, de facto)
Demonym	Ohioan; Buckeye[1] (colloq.)
Capital (and largest city)	Columbus[2][3]
Largest metro area	Greater Cleveland or Greater Cincinnati (see footnote[4])
Area	Ranked 34th in the U.S.
- Total	44,825 sq mi (116,096 km2)
- Width	220 miles (355 km)
- Length	220 miles (355 km)
- % water	8.7
- Latitude	38° 24′ N to 41° 59′ N
- Longitude	80° 31′ W to 84° 49′ W
Population	Ranked 7th in the U.S.
- Total	11,544,951 (2011 est)[5]
- Density	282/sq mi  (109/km2) Ranked 10th in the U.S.
Elevation
- Highest point	Campbell Hill[6][7] 1,549 ft (472 m)
- Mean	850 ft  (260 m)
- Lowest point	Ohio River at Indiana border[6][7] 455 ft (139 m)
Before statehood	Northwest Territory
Admission to Union	March 1, 1803[8] (17th, declared retroactively on August 7, 1953[9])
Governor	John Kasich[10] (R)[11]
Lieutenant Governor	Mary Taylor[12] (R)[13]
Legislature	General Assembly
- Upper house	Senate
- Lower house	House of Representatives
U.S. Senators	Sherrod Brown[14] (D)[14] Rob Portman (R)
U.S. House delegation	13 Republicans, 5 Democrats (list)
Time zone	Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Abbreviations	OH[15] US-OH
Website	www.ohio.gov

Ohio (ⁱ/oʊˈhaɪ.oʊ/) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Ohio is the 34th most extensive, the 7th most populous, and the 10th most densely populated of the 50 United States. The state's capital and largest city is Columbus.

The name "Ohio" originated from Iroquois word ohi-yo’, meaning "great river".^{[16][17][18][19][20]} The state, originally partitioned from the Northwest Territory, was admitted to the Union as the 17th state (and the first under the Northwest Ordinance) on March 1, 1803.^[8][21] Although there are conflicting narratives regarding the origin of the nickname, Ohio is historically known as the "Buckeye State" (relating to the Ohio buckeye tree) and Ohioans are also known as "Buckeyes".^[1]

The government of Ohio is composed of the executive branch, led by the Governor; the legislative branch, which comprises the Ohio General Assembly; and the judicial branch, which is led by the Supreme Court. Currently, Ohio occupies 18 seats in the United States House of Representatives.^[22] Ohio is known for its status as both a swing state^[23] and a bellwether^[23] in national elections.

Geography[link]

Ohio's geographic location has proven to be an asset for economic growth and expansion. Because Ohio links the Northeast to the Midwest, much cargo and business traffic passes through its borders along its well-developed highways. Ohio has the nation's 10th largest highway network, and is within a one-day drive of 50% of North America's population and 70% of North America's manufacturing capacity.^[24] To the north, Lake Erie gives Ohio 312 miles (502 km) of coastline,^[25] which allows for numerous seaports. Ohio's southern border is defined by the Ohio River (with the border being at the 1793 low-water mark on the north side of the river), and much of the northern border is defined by Lake Erie. Ohio's neighbors are Pennsylvania to the east, Michigan to the northwest, Ontario Canada, to the north, Indiana to the west, Kentucky on the south, and West Virginia on the southeast. Ohio's borders were defined by metes and bounds in the Enabling Act of 1802 as follows:

Bounded on the east by the Pennsylvania line, on the south by the Ohio River, to the mouth of the Great Miami River, on the west by the line drawn due north from the mouth of the Great Miami aforesaid, and on the north by an east and west line drawn through the southerly extreme of Lake Michigan, running east after intersecting the due north line aforesaid, from the mouth of the Great Miami until it shall intersect Lake Erie or the territorial line, and thence with the same through Lake Erie to the Pennsylvania line aforesaid.

The Ohio coast of Lake Erie.

Note that Ohio is bounded by the Ohio River, but nearly all of the river itself belongs to Kentucky and West Virginia. In 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court held that, based on the wording of the cessation of territory by Virginia (which, at that time included what is now Kentucky and West Virginia), the boundary between Ohio and Kentucky (and by implication, West Virginia) is the northern low-water mark of the river as it existed in 1792.^[26] Ohio has only that portion of the river between the river's 1792 low-water mark and the present high-water mark.

The border with Michigan has also changed, as a result of the Toledo War, to angle slightly northeast to the north shore of the mouth of the Maumee River.

Much of Ohio features glaciated plains, with an exceptionally flat area in the northwest being known as the Great Black Swamp. This glaciated region in the northwest and central state is bordered to the east and southeast first by a belt known as the glaciated Allegheny Plateau, and then by another belt known as the unglaciated Allegheny Plateau. Most of Ohio is of low relief, but the unglaciated Allegheny Plateau features rugged hills and forests.

Physical geography of Ohio.

The rugged southeastern quadrant of Ohio, stretching in an outward bow-like arc along the Ohio River from the West Virginia Panhandle to the outskirts of Cincinnati, forms a distinct socio-economic unit. Geologically similar to parts of West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania, this area's coal mining legacy, dependence on small pockets of old manufacturing establishments, and distinctive regional dialect set this section off from the rest of the state. In 1965 the United States Congress passed the Appalachian Regional Development Act, at attempt to "address the persistent poverty and growing economic despair of the Appalachian Region."^[27] This act defines 29 Ohio counties as part of Appalachia.^[28] While 1/3 of Ohio's land mass is part of the federally defined Appalachian region, only 12.8% of Ohioans live there (1.476 million people.)^[29]

Map of Ohio.

Significant rivers within the state include the Cuyahoga River, Great Miami River, Maumee River, Muskingum River, and Scioto River. The rivers in the northern part of the state drain into the northern Atlantic Ocean via Lake Erie and the St. Lawrence River, and the rivers in the southern part of the state drain into the Gulf of Mexico via the Ohio River and then the Mississippi.

The worst weather disaster in Ohio history occurred along the Great Miami River in 1913. Known as the Great Dayton Flood, the entire Miami River watershed flooded, including the downtown business district of Dayton. As a result, the Miami Conservancy District was created as the first major flood plain engineering project in Ohio and the United States.^[30]

Grand Lake St. Marys in the west central part of the state was constructed as a supply of water for canals in the canal-building era of 1820–1850. For many years this body of water, over 20 square miles (52 km²), was the largest artificial lake in the world. It should be noted that Ohio's canal-building projects were not the economic fiasco that similar efforts were in other states. Some cities, such as Dayton, owe their industrial emergence to location on canals, and as late as 1910 interior canals carried much of the bulk freight of the state.

Climate[link]

The climate of Ohio is a humid continental climate (Koppen climate classification Dfa) throughout most of the state except in the extreme southern counties of Ohio's Bluegrass region section which are located on the northern periphery of the humid subtropical climate and Upland South region of the United States. Summers are typically hot and humid throughout the state, while winters generally range from cool to cold. Precipitation in Ohio is moderate year-round. Severe weather is not uncommon in the state, although there are typically fewer tornado reports in Ohio than in states located in what is known as the Tornado Alley. Severe lake effect snowstorms are also not uncommon on the southeast shore of Lake Erie, which is located in an area designated as the Snowbelt.

Although predominantly not in a subtropical climate, some warmer-climate flora and fauna does reach well into Ohio. For instance, a number of trees with more southern ranges, such as the blackjack oak, Quercus marilandica, are found at their northernmost in Ohio just north of the Ohio River. Also evidencing this climatic transition from a subtropical to continental climate, several plants such as the Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), Albizia julibrissin (mimosa), Crape Myrtle, and even the occasional Needle Palm are hardy landscape materials regularly used as street, yard, and garden plantings in the Bluegrass region of Ohio; but these same plants will simply not thrive in much of the rest of the State. This interesting change may be observed while traveling through Ohio on Interstate 75 from Cincinnati to Toledo; the observant traveler of this diverse state may even catch a glimpse of Cincinnati's common wall lizard, one of the few examples of permanent "subtropical" fauna in Ohio.

Records[link]

The highest recorded temperature was 113 °F (45 °C), near Gallipolis on July 21, 1934.^[31] The lowest recorded temperature was −39 °F (−39 °C), at Milligan on February 10, 1899.^[32]

Earthquakes[link]

Although few have registered as noticeable to the average citizen, more than 30 earthquakes occurred in Ohio between 2002 and 2007, and more than 200 quakes with a magnitude of 2.0 or higher have occurred since 1776.^[33]

The most substantial known earthquake in Ohio history was the Anna (Shelby County) earthquake,^[34] which occurred on March 9, 1937. It was centered in western Ohio, and had a magnitude of 5.4, and was of intensity VIII.^[35]

Other significant earthquakes in Ohio include:^[36] one of magnitude 4.8 near Lima on September 19, 1884;^[37] one of magnitude 4.2 near Portsmouth on May 17, 1901;^[38] and one of 5.0 in LeRoy Township in Lake County on January 31, 1986, which continued to trigger 13 aftershocks of magnitude 0.5 to 2.4 for two months.^[39][40]

The most recent earthquake in Ohio of any appreciable magnitude occurred on December 31, 2011, at 3:05pm EST. It had a magnitude of 4.0, and its epicenter was located approximately 4 kilometres northwest of Youngstown (41°7′19.1994″N 80°41′2.3994″W / 41.121999833°N 80.683999833°W / 41.121999833; -80.683999833), near the Trumbull/Mahoning county border.^[41]

The Ohio Seismic Network (OhioSeis), a group of seismograph stations at several colleges, universities, and other institutions, and coordinated by the Division of Geological Survey of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources,^[42] maintains an extensive catalog of Ohio earthquakes from 1776 to the present day, as well as earthquakes located in other states whose effects were felt in Ohio.^[43]

Major cities[link]

Columbus (home of The Ohio State University, Franklin University, Capital University, and Ohio Dominican University) is the capital of Ohio, near the geographic center of the state.

Other Ohio cities functioning as centers of United States metropolitan areas include:

• Akron (home of University of Akron and Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company)
• Canton (home of Pro Football Hall of Fame, Malone University, and The Timken Company)
• Cincinnati (home of University of Cincinnati, Xavier University, Cincinnati Museum Center, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Procter & Gamble, Kroger, Macy's Inc., Chiquita Brands International, and Fifth Third Bank)
• Cleveland (home of Cleveland State University, Playhouse Square Center, The Cleveland Museum of Art, The Cleveland Orchestra, Case Western Reserve University, The Cleveland Clinic, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Forest City Enterprises, and University Hospitals)
• Dayton (home of University of Dayton, Dayton Ballet, Wright State University, Premier Health Partners, and National Museum of the United States Air Force)
• Lima (home of University of Northwestern Ohio)
• Mansfield (home of North Central State College and Mansfield Motorsports Park)
• Sandusky (home of Cedar Point, and Kalahari Resort and Convention Center)
• Springfield (home of Wittenberg University)
• Steubenville (home of Franciscan University of Steubenville)
• Toledo (home of The University of Toledo, The Toledo Museum of Art, Owens Corning, and Owens-Illinois)
• Youngstown (home of Youngstown State University and Butler Institute of American Art).

Note: The Cincinnati metropolitan area extends into Kentucky and Indiana, the Steubenville metropolitan area extends into West Virginia, and the Youngstown metropolitan area extends into Pennsylvania.

Ohio cities that function as centers of United States micropolitan areas include:

• Ashland (home of Ashland University)
• Ashtabula
• Athens (home of Ohio University)
• Bellefontaine
• Bucyrus
• Cambridge
• Celina
• Chillicothe (home of Ohio University-Chillicothe)
• Coshocton
• Defiance (home of Defiance College)
• East Liverpool-Salem
• Findlay (home of The University of Findlay)
• Fremont
• Greenville
• Marion (home of Marion Popcorn Festival)
• Mount Vernon (home of Mount Vernon Nazarene University)
• New Philadelphia-Dover
• Norwalk (home of the NHRA venue Summit Motorsports Park, headquarters of the International Hot Rod Association, and pioneer automobile company Fisher Body)
• Oxford (home of Miami University)
• Portsmouth (home of Shawnee State University)
• Sidney
• Tiffin (home of Heidelberg College and Tiffin University)
• Urbana (home of Urbana University)
• Van Wert
• Wapakoneta (birthplace of Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong)
• Washington Court House
• Wilmington (home of Wilmington College)
• Wooster (home of The College of Wooster)
• Zanesville (home of Zane State College).

History[link]

Native Americans[link]

Archeological evidence suggests that the Ohio Valley was inhabited by nomadic people as early as 13,000 BC.^[46] These early nomads disappeared from Ohio by 1,000 BC, "but their material culture provided a base for those who followed them".^[46] Between 1,000 and 800 BC, the sedentary Adena culture emerged. As Ohio historian George W. Knepper notes, this sophisticated culture was "so named because evidences of their culture were excavated in 1902 on the grounds of Adena, Thomas Worthington's estate located near Chillicothe".^[47] The Adena were able to establish "semi-permanent" villages because they domesticated plants, which included squash, sunflowers, and perhaps corn. Cultivation of these in addition to hunting and gathering supported more settled, complex villages.^[47] The most spectacular remnant of the Adena culture is the Great Serpent Mound, located in Adams County, Ohio.^[47]

Around 100 BC, the Adena were joined in Ohio Country by the Hopewell people, who were named for the farm owned by Captain M. C. Hopewell, where evidence of their unique culture was discovered.^[48] Like the Adena, the Hopewell people participated in a mound-building culture. Their complex, large and technologically sophisticated earthworks can be found in modern-day Marietta, Newark, and Circleville.^[48] The Hopewell, however, disappeared from the Ohio Valley in about 600 AD. Little is known about the people who replaced them.^[49] Researchers have identified two additional, distinct prehistoric cultures: the Fort Ancient people and the Whittlesey Focus people.^[49] Both cultures apparently disappeared in the 17th century, perhaps decimated by infectious diseases spread in epidemics from early European contact. The Native Americans had no immunity to common European diseases. Some scholars believe that the Fort Ancient people "were ancestors of the historic Shawnee people, or that, at the very least, the historic Shawnees absorbed remnants of these older peoples."^[49]

American Indians in the Ohio Valley were greatly affected by the aggressive tactics of the Iroquois Confederation, based in central and western New York.^[50] After the so-called Beaver Wars in the mid-17th century, the Iroquois claimed much of the Ohio country as hunting and, more importantly, beaver-trapping ground. After the devastation of epidemics and war in the mid-17th century, which largely emptied the Ohio country of indigenous people by the mid-to-late 17th century, the land gradually became repopulated by the mostly Algonquian-speaking descendants of its ancient inhabitants, that is, descendants of the Adena, Hopewell, and Mississippian cultures. Many of these Ohio-country nations were multi-ethnic (sometimes multi-linguistic) societies born out of the earlier devastation brought about by disease, war, and subsequent social instability. They subsisted on agriculture (corn, sunflowers, beans, etc.) supplemented by seasonal hunts. By the 18th century, they were part of a larger global economy brought about by European entry into the fur trade.^[51]

The indigenous nations to inhabit Ohio in the historical period included the Miamis (a large confederation); Wyandots (made up of refugees, especially from the fractured Huron confederacy); Delawares (pushed west from their historic homeland in New Jersey); Shawnees (also pushed west, although they may have been descended from the Fort Ancient people of Ohio); Ottawas (more commonly associated with the upper Great Lakes region); Mingos (like the Wyandot, a group recently formed of refugees from Iroquois); and Eries (gradually absorbed into the new, multi-ethnic "republics," namely the Wyandot).^[52] Ohio country was also the site of Indian massacres, such as the Yellow Creek Massacre, Gnadenhutten and Pontiac's Rebellion school massacre.^[53]

Colonial and Revolutionary eras[link]

During the 18th century, the French set up a system of trading posts to control the fur trade in the region. In 1754, France and Great Britain fought a war that was known in North America as the French and Indian War and in Europe as the Seven Years War. As a result of the Treaty of Paris, the French ceded control of Ohio and the remainder of the Old Northwest to Great Britain.

Pontiac's Rebellion in the 1760s, however, posed a challenge to British military control.^[54] This came to an end with the colonists' victory in the American Revolution. In the Treaty of Paris in 1783, Britain ceded all claims to Ohio country to the United States.

Northwest Territory: 1787–1803[link]

Plaque commemorating the Northwest Ordinance outside Federal Hall in lower Manhattan

The United States created the Northwest Territory under the Northwest Ordinance of 1787.^[55] Slavery was not permitted in the new territory. Settlement began with the founding of Marietta by the Ohio Company of Associates, which had been formed by a group of American Revolutionary War veterans. Following the Ohio Company, the Miami Company (also referred to as the "Symmes Purchase") claimed the southwestern section, and the Connecticut Land Company surveyed and settled the Connecticut Western Reserve in present-day Northeast Ohio.

The old Northwest Territory originally included areas previously known as Ohio Country and Illinois Country. As Ohio prepared for statehood, the Indiana Territory was created, reducing the Northwest Territory to approximately the size of present-day Ohio plus the eastern half of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan and the eastern tip of the Upper Peninsula.

Under the Northwest Ordinance, areas of the territory could be defined and admitted as states once their population reached 60,000. Although Ohio's population numbered only 45,000 in December 1801, Congress determined that the population was growing rapidly and Ohio could begin the path to statehood. The assumption was that it would exceed 60,000 residents by the time it was admitted as a state.

Statehood: 1803–present[link]

James A. Garfield, President of United States from Ohio.

On February 19, 1803, President Jefferson signed an act of Congress that approved Ohio's boundaries and constitution. However, Congress had never passed a resolution formally admitting Ohio as the 17th state. The current custom of Congress declaring an official date of statehood did not begin until 1812, with Louisiana's admission as the 18th state. Although no formal resolution of admission was required, when the oversight was discovered in 1953, Ohio congressman George H. Bender introduced a bill in Congress to admit Ohio to the Union retroactive to March 1, 1803. At a special session at the old state capital in Chillicothe, the Ohio state legislature approved a new petition for statehood that was delivered to Washington, D.C. on horseback. On August 7, 1953 (the year of Ohio's 150th anniversary), President Eisenhower signed an act that officially declared March 1, 1803 the date of Ohio's admittance into the Union.^[56][57]

Although many Native Americans had migrated west to evade American encroachment, others remained settled in the state, sometimes assimilating in part. In 1830 under President Andrew Jackson, the US government forced Indian Removal of most tribes to the Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River.

In 1835, Ohio fought with Michigan in the Toledo War, a mostly bloodless boundary war over the Toledo Strip. Congress intervened, making Michigan's admittance as a state conditional on ending the conflict. In exchange for giving up its claim to the Toledo Strip, Michigan was given the western two-thirds of the Upper Peninsula, in addition to the eastern third that was already considered part of the state.

Ohio state welcome sign, in an older (1990s) style

Ohio's central position and its population gave it an important place during the Civil War. The Ohio River was a vital artery for troop and supply movements, as were Ohio's railroads. Ohio contributed more soldiers per-capita than any other state in the Union. In 1862, the state's morale was badly shaken in the aftermath of the battle of Shiloh, a costly victory in which Ohio forces suffered 2,000 casualties.^[58] Later that year, when Confederate troops under the leadership of Stonewall Jackson threatened Washington, D.C., Ohio governor David Tod still could recruit 5,000 volunteers to provide three months of service.^[59] Ohio historian Andrew R. L. Cayton writes that almost 35,000 Ohioans died in the conflict, "and some thirty thousand carried battle scars with them for the rest of their lives."^[60] By the end of the Civil War, the Union's top three generals–Ulysses S. Grant, William Tecumseh Sherman, and Philip Sheridan–were all from Ohio.^[61][62]

In 1912 a Constitutional Convention was held with Charles B. Galbreath as secretary. The result reflected the concerns of the Progressive Era. It introduced the initiative and the referendum. In addition, it allowed the General Assembly to put questions on the ballot for the people to ratify laws and constitutional amendments originating in the Legislature. Under the Jeffersonian principle that laws should be reviewed once a generation, the constitution provided for a recurring question to appear on Ohio's general election ballots every 20 years. The question asks whether a new convention is required. Although the question has appeared in 1932, 1952, 1972, and 1992, it has never been approved. Instead constitutional amendments have been proposed by petition to the legislature hundreds of times and adopted in a majority of cases.

Eight U.S. presidents hailed from Ohio at the time of their elections, giving rise to its nickname "Mother of Presidents", a sobriquet it shares with Virginia. It is also termed "Modern Mother of Presidents,"^[63] in contrast to Virginia's status as the origin of presidents earlier in American history. Seven presidents were born in Ohio, making it second to Virginia's eight. Virginia-born William Henry Harrison lived most of his life in Ohio and is also buried there. Harrison conducted his political career while living on the family compound, founded by his father-in-law, John Cleves Symmes, in North Bend, Ohio. The seven presidents born in Ohio were Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, Benjamin Harrison (grandson of William Henry Harrison), William McKinley, William Howard Taft and Warren G. Harding.

Demographics[link]

Population[link]

From just over 45,000 residents in 1800, Ohio's population grew at rates of over 10% per decade until the census of 1970, which recorded just over 10.65 million Ohioans.^[65] Growth then slowed for the next four decades.^[66] The United States Census Bureau estimates that the population of Ohio was 11,544,951 on July 1, 2011, a 0.07% increase since the 2010 United States Census.^[5] Ohio's population growth lags that of the entire United States, and Caucasians are found in a greater density than the United States average. As of 2000^[update], Ohio's center of population is located in Morrow County,^[67] in the county seat of Mount Gilead.^[68] This is approximately 6,346 feet (1,934 m) south and west of Ohio's population center in 1990.^[67]

As of 2007^[update], 6.5% of Ohio's population is under 5 years of age,^[69] compared to a national rate of 6.9%.^[70] Also, 13.4% of Ohio's population is over 65 years of age,^[69] compared to a United States rate of 12.6%.^[70] Females comprise 51.3% of Ohio's population,^[69] compared to a national rate of 50.8%.^[70]

As of 2007, 3.6% of Ohio's total population is estimated to be foreign-born,^[71] compared to an estimated 12.5% of the United States population.^[71]

Ohio's five largest ancestry groups, as of 2007, are:^[72]

1. German (28.9%);
2. Irish (14.8%);
3. English (10.1%);
4. Polish (8.4%);
5. Italian (6.4%).

Amish children on the way to school.

The American Community Survey for the U.S. Census for 2006 reported:^[73]

• 82.8% White (non-Hispanic);
• 11.8% Black (non-Hispanic);
• 2.3% Hispanic, a category that includes people of many races;
• 1.5% Asian/Pacific Islander
• 1.3% mixed race
• 0.2% Native American/Alaskan Native
• 0.1% other races.

Religion[link]

According to a Pew Forum poll, as of 2008, 76% of Ohioans identified as Christian.^[74] Specifically, 26% of Ohio's population identified as Evangelical Protestant, 22% identified as Mainline Protestant, and 21% identified as Roman Catholic.^[74] In addition, 17% of the population is unaffiliated with any religious body.^[74] There are also small minorities of Jehovah's Witnesses (1%), Jews (1%), Muslims (1%), Hindus (<0.5%), Buddhists (<0.5%), Mormons (<0.5%), and practitioners of other faiths (1-1.5%).^[74]

According to the same data, a majority of Ohioans, 55%, feel that religion is "very important," while 30% say that it is "somewhat important," and 15% responded that religion is "not too important/not important at all."^[74] Also, 36% of Ohioans indicate that they attend religious services at least once weekly, while 35% attend these services occasionally, and 27% seldom or never participate in these services.^[74]

Economy[link]

Cincinnati's Procter & Gamble is one of Ohio's largest companies in terms of revenue.

In 2010, Ohio was ranked No. 2 in the country for best business climate by Site Selection magazine, based on a business-activity database.^[75] The state has also won three consecutive Governor's Cup awards from the magazine, based on business growth and developments.^[76] As of 2010^[update], Ohio's gross domestic product (GDP) was $478 billion.^[77][78] This ranks Ohio's economy as the seventh-largest of all fifty states and the District of Columbia.^[78]

The Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council ranked the state No. 10 for best business-friendly tax systems in their Business Tax Index 2009, including a top corporate tax and capital gains rate that were both ranked No. 6 at 1.9%.^[79] Ohio was ranked No. 11 by the council for best friendly-policy states according to their Small Business Survival Index 2009.^[80] The Directorship's Boardroom Guide ranked the state No. 13 overall for best business climate, including No. 7 for best litigation climate.^[81] Forbes ranked the state No. 8 for best regulatory environment in 2009.^[82] Ohio has 5 of the top 115 colleges in the nation, according to U.S. News and World Report's 2010 rankings,^[83] and was ranked No. 8 by the same magazine in 2008 for best high schools.^[84]

Ohio's unemployment rate stood at 10.7 in May 2010, adding 17,000 new jobs that month.^[85][86] Ohio's per capita income stands at $34,874.^[78][87] Moody's is predicting a 1.3% increase in personal income in 2009 for Ohio, compared to the 2007 rate of 4.7%.^[78] As of 2007^[update], Ohio's median household income is $46,645,^[88] and 13.1% of the population is below the poverty line,^[89] slightly above the national rate of 13%.^[89] Ohio's employment base is expected to grow 5% from 2006 to 2016, a net gain of 290,700 jobs.^[78]

The manufacturing and financial activities sectors each compose 18.3% of Ohio's GDP, making them Ohio's largest industries by percentage of GDP.^[78] Ohio has the largest bioscience sector in the Midwest, and is a national leader in the "green" economy. Ohio is the largest producer in the country of plastics, rubber, fabricated metals, electrical equipment, and appliances.^[90] 5,212,000 Ohioans are currently employed by wage or salary.^[78]

By employment, Ohio's largest sector is trade/transportation/utilities, which employs 1,010,000 Ohioans, or 19.4% of Ohio's workforce, while the health care and education sector employs 825,000 Ohioans (15.8%).^[78] Government employs 787,000 Ohioans (15.1%), manufacturing employs 669,000 Ohioans (12.9%), and professional and technical services employs 638,000 Ohioans (12.2%).^[78] Ohio's manufacturing sector is the third-largest of all fifty United States states in terms of gross domestic product.^[78] Fifty-nine of the United States' top 1,000 publicly traded companies (by revenue in 2008) are headquartered in Ohio, including Procter & Gamble, Goodyear Tire & Rubber, AK Steel, Timken, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Wendy's.^[91]

Ohio is also one of 41 states with its own lottery,^[92] the Ohio Lottery.^[93] The Ohio Lottery has contributed over $15.5 billion to public education in its 34-year history.^[94]

Transportation[link]

Ground Travel
Many major east-west transportation corridors go through Ohio. One of those pioneer routes, known in the early 20th century as "Main Market Route 3", was chosen in 1913 to become part of the historic Lincoln Highway which was the first road across America, connecting New York City to San Francisco. In Ohio, the Lincoln Highway linked many towns and cities together, including Canton, Mansfield, Wooster, Lima, and Van Wert. The arrival of the Lincoln Highway to Ohio was a major influence on the development of the state. Upon the advent of the federal numbered highway system in 1926, the Lincoln Highway through Ohio became U.S. Highway 30.

Ohio also is home to 228 miles (367 km) of the Historic National Road, now U.S. Route 40.

Ohio has a highly developed network of roads and interstate highways. Major east-west through routes include the Ohio Turnpike (I-80/I-90) in the north, I-76 through Akron to Pennsylvania, I-70 through Columbus and Dayton, and the Appalachian Highway (Ohio 32) running from West Virginia to Cincinnati. Major north-south routes include I-75 in the west through Toledo, Dayton, and Cincinnati, I-71 through the middle of the state from Cleveland through Columbus and Cincinnati into Kentucky, and I-77 in the eastern part of the state from Cleveland through Akron, Canton, New Philadelphia and Marietta down into West Virginia. Interstate 75 between Cincinnati and Dayton is one of the heaviest traveled sections of interstate in Ohio.

Air Travel

Ohio has 5 international airports, 4 commercial and 2 military. The 5 international includes Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, which is a major hub for Continental Airlines, Port Columbus International Airport, and Dayton International Airport, Ohio's third largest airport. Akron Fulton International Airport handles cargo and for private use. Rickenbacker International Airport is one of military which is also home to the 7th largest fed ex building in America. The other military airport is Wright Patterson Air Force Base which is one of the largest Air Force bases in the United States. Other major airports are located in Toledo and Akron.

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport is in Hebron, Kentucky and therefore is not listed above.

Transportation lists[link]

• List of Ohio state highways
• List of Ohio train stations
• List of Ohio railroads
• List of Ohio rivers
• Historic Ohio Canals

Law and government[link]

The Ohio State Capitol located in Columbus, Ohio.

The state government of Ohio consists of the executive,^[95] judicial,^[96] and legislative^[97] branches.

Executive branch[link]

The executive branch is headed by the Governor of Ohio.^[95] The current governor is John Kasich,^[10] a Republican elected in 2010. A lieutenant governor succeeds the governor in the event of any removal from office,^[98] and performs any duties assigned by the governor.^[99] The current lieutenant governor is Mary Taylor. The other elected constitutional offices in the executive branch are the secretary of state (Jon A. Husted), auditor (Dave Yost), treasurer (Josh Mandel), and attorney general (Mike DeWine).^[95]

Judicial branch[link]

There are three levels of the Ohio state judiciary. The lowest level is the court of common pleas: each county maintains its own constitutionally-mandated court of common pleas, which maintain jurisdiction over "all justiciable matters."^[100] The intermediate-level court system is the district court system.^[101] Twelve courts of appeals exist, each retaining jurisdiction over appeals from common pleas, municipal, and county courts in a set geographical area.^[100] A case heard in this system is decided by a three-judge panel, and each judge is elected.^[100]

The highest-ranking court, the Ohio Supreme Court, is Ohio's "court of last resort."^[102] A seven-justice panel composes the court, which, by its own discretion, hears appeals from the courts of appeals, and retains original jurisdiction over limited matters.^[103]

Legislative branch[link]

The police car originated in Akron, Ohio.^[104]

The Ohio General Assembly is a bicameral legislature consisting of the Senate and House of Representatives.^[105] The Senate is composed of 33 districts, each of which is represented by one senator.^[106] Each senator represents approximately 330,000 constituents.^[106] The House of Representatives is composed of 99 members.^[107]

National politics[link]

Ohio, nicknamed the "Mother of Presidents," has sent seven of its native sons (Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, William Howard Taft, and Warren G. Harding) to the White House.^[109] All seven were Republicans. Virginia native William Henry Harrison, a Whig, resided in Ohio.^[109] Historian R. Douglas Hurt asserts that not since Virginia 'had a state made such a mark on national political affairs.'^[110] The Economist notes that "This slice of the mid-west contains a bit of everything American — part north-eastern and part southern, part urban and part rural, part hardscrabble poverty and part booming suburb,"^[111]

As of 2008^[update], Ohio's voter demographic leans towards the Democratic Party.^[112] An estimated 2,408,178 Ohioans are registered to vote as Democrats, while 1,471,465 Ohioans are registered to vote as Republicans.^[112] These are changes from 2004 of 72% and 32%, respectively, and Democrats have registered over 1,000,000 new Ohioans since 2004.^[112] Unaffiliated voters have an attrition of 15% since 2004, losing an estimated 718,000 of their kind.^[112] The total now rests at 4,057,518 Ohioans.^[112] In total, there are 7,937,161 Ohioans registered to vote.^[112] In the United States presidential election of 2008, then-Senator Barack Obama of Illinois won 51.50% of Ohio's popular vote, 4.59% more than his nearest rival, Senator John McCain of Arizona.^[113] However, Obama won only 22 of Ohio's 88 counties.^[114]

Following the 2000 census, Ohio lost one congressional district in the United States House of Representatives, which leaves Ohio with 18 districts, and consequently, 18 representatives. The state is expected to lose two more seats following the 2010 Census.^[115] The 2008 elections, Democrats gained three seats in Ohio's delegation to the House of Representatives.^[116] This leaves eight Republican-controlled seats in the Ohio delegation.^[117] Ohio's U.S. Senators in the 112th Congress are Republican Rob Portman and Democrat Sherrod Brown.^[118] Marcia Kaptur (D-9) is the dean, or most senior member, of the Ohio delegation to the United States House of Representatives.^[119]

Education[link]

Ohio's system of public education is outlined in Article VI of the state constitution, and in Title XXXIII of the Ohio Revised Code. Substantively, Ohio's system is similar to those found in other states. At the State level, the Ohio Department of Education, which is overseen by the Ohio State Board of Education, governs primary and secondary educational institutions. At the municipal level, there are approximately 700 school districts statewide. The Ohio Board of Regents coordinates and assists with Ohio's institutions of higher education which have recently been reorganized into the University System of Ohio under Governor Strickland. The system averages an annual enrollment of over 400,000 students, making it one of the five largest state university systems in the U.S.

Colleges and universities[link]

• 13 state universities
  • The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio
  • Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio
  • Central State University, Wilberforce, Ohio
  • University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio
  • Kent State University, Kent, Ohio
  • Miami University, Oxford, Ohio
  • Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
  • The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
  • Shawnee State University, Portsmouth, Ohio
  • University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio
  • Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio (Fairborn, Ohio)
  • Youngstown State University, Youngstown, Ohio
• 24 state university branch and regional campuses
• 46 private colleges and universities ^{a b}
• 6 free-standing state-assisted medical schools
  • University of Toledo College of Medicine (formerly Medical University of Ohio)
  • Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine
  • The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health
  • Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine
  • University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
  • Boonshoft School of Medicine (formerly known as The Wright State University School of Medicine)
• 15 community colleges
• 8 technical colleges
• 24 independent non-profit colleges

^a Included among these is the University of Dayton, which is the largest private university in Ohio.

^b Two of these institutions are ranked among the top 40 in the nation by US News & World Report: Case Western Reserve University (private national university), and Oberlin College (private liberal arts college).

Libraries[link]

Ohio is home to some of the nation's highest-ranking public libraries.^[120] The 2008 study by Thomas J. Hennen Jr. ranked Ohio as number one in a state-by-state comparison.^[121] For 2008, 31 of Ohio's library systems were all ranked in the top ten for American cities of their population category.^[120]

• 500,000 or more
  • Columbus Metropolitan Library (First)
  • Cuyahoga County Public Library (Second)
  • Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County (Tenth)

The Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) is an organization that provides Ohio residents with internet access to their 251 public libraries. OPLIN also provides Ohioans with free home access to high-quality, subscription research databases.

Ohio also offers the OhioLINK program, allowing Ohio's libraries (particularly those from colleges and universities) access to materials in other libraries. The program is largely successful in allowing researchers access to books and other media that might not otherwise be available.

Sports[link]

Professional sports[link]

Ohio is home to major professional sports teams in baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and soccer. The state's major professional sporting teams include: Cincinnati Reds (Major League Baseball),^[122] Cleveland Indians (Major League Baseball),^[123] Cincinnati Bengals (National Football League),^[124] Cleveland Browns (National Football League),^[124] Cleveland Cavaliers (National Basketball Association),^[125] Columbus Blue Jackets (National Hockey League),^[126] and the Columbus Crew (Major League Soccer).^[127]

Ohio played a central role in the development of both Major League Baseball and the National Football League. Baseball's first fully professional team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings of 1869, were organized in Ohio.^[128] An informal early 20th century American football association, the Ohio League, was the direct predecessor of the NFL, although neither of Ohio's modern NFL franchises trace their roots to an Ohio League club. The Pro Football Hall of Fame is located in Canton.

On a smaller scale, Ohio hosts minor league baseball, arena football, indoor football, mid-level hockey, and lower division soccer. The minor league baseball teams include: Akron Aeros (affiliated with the Cleveland Indians), Chillicothe Paints (independent), Columbus Clippers (affiliated with the Cleveland Indians), Dayton Dragons (affiliated with the Cincinnati Reds), Lake County Captains^[129] (affiliated with the Cleveland Indians), Mahoning Valley Scrappers^[130] (affiliated with the Cleveland Indians), and Toledo Mud Hens^[131] (affiliated with the Detroit Tigers).

Ohio's minor professional football teams include: Canton Legends (American Indoor Football Association), Cincinnati Marshals (National Indoor Football League), Cincinnati Sizzle (National Women's Football Association), Cleveland Fusion (National Women's Football Association), Cleveland Gladiators (Arena Football League), Columbus Comets (National Women's Football Association), Columbus Destroyers (Arena Football League), Mahoning Valley Thunder (af2), Marion Mayhem (Continental Indoor Football League), and Miami Valley Silverbacks (Continental Indoor Football League).

Ohio's alternative professional hockey teams include: Cincinnati Cyclones (ECHL), Lake Erie Monsters (American Hockey League), Dayton Gems (Central Hockey League), Mahoning Valley Phantoms (North American Hockey League), Toledo Walleye (ECHL), and Youngstown Steelhounds (Central Hockey League).

In lower division professional soccer, Ohio accommodates the Cincinnati Kings and Cleveland City Stars, both of the United Soccer League and the Dayton Dutch Lions of the USL Premier Development League.

Ohio is also home to the Akron Racers, a minor professional softball club, of National Pro Fastpitch.

Former major league teams:

• Akron Pros (NFL) (1920–1925)
• Canton Bulldogs (NFL) (1920–1923 and 1925–1926)
• Portsmouth Spartans (NFL) (1930–1933)
• Cincinnati Red Stockings (NL) (1876–1880)
• Cleveland Blues (NL) (1879–1884)
• Cleveland Spiders (AA-NL) (1887–1899)
• Cleveland Rams (NFL) (1936–1945)
• Cleveland Rebels (BAA) (1946–1947)
• Cincinnati Royals (NBA) (1957–1972)
• Cleveland Barons (NHL) (1976–1978)
• Cleveland Crusaders (WHA)(1972–1976)
• Cincinnati Stingers (WHA) (1975–1979).
• Dayton Triangles (NFL) (1920–1929)
• Cleveland Rockers (WNBA) (1997–2003)

College football[link]

Ohio has eight NCAA Division I-A college football teams, divided among three different conferences. It has also experienced considerable success in the secondary and tertiary tiers of college football divisions.

In Division I-A, representing the Big Ten, the Ohio State Buckeyes football team ranks 5th among all-time winningest programs, with seven national championships and seven Heisman Trophy winners. Their biggest are rivals are the Michigan Wolverines, whom they traditionally play each year as the last game of their regular season schedule.

Ohio has six teams represented in the Mid-American Conference: the University of Akron, Bowling Green, Kent State, Miami University, Ohio University and the University of Toledo. The MAC headquarters are based in Cleveland.

The University of Cincinnati Bearcats represent Ohio in the Big East Conference.

Division I-AA Youngstown State is a perennial power in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, having won four FCS National Championships.

Division III Mount Union College boasts a record-setting ten National Championships and also hold the record for 110 consecutive game winning streak from 1994 until 2005. They have won two of the last three D-III National Championship games.

State symbols[link]

Ohio buckeyes, the seed from the Ohio buckeye tree.

Ohio's state symbols:

• State animal: White-tailed Deer (1987)^[132]
• State beverage: Tomato juice (1965)^[132]
• State bird: Cardinal (1933)^[132]
• State capital: Columbus^[3] (1816)^[133]
• State flower: Red carnation (1904)^[132]
• State fossil: Isotelus maximus, a trilobite (1985)^[132]
• State herb capital: Gahanna (1972)^[134]
• State insect: Ladybug (1975)^[132]
• State motto: "With God all things are possible." (1959)^[135]
• State reptile: Black racer snake (1995)^[132]
• State rock song: "Hang On Sloopy" (1985)^[136]
• State song: "Beautiful Ohio" (1969)^[132]
• State stone: Ohio Flint (1965)^[132]
• State tree: Buckeye (1953)^[132]
• State wildflower: Large white trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) (1986)^[132]