Ohio Facts & History
Ohio is a midwestern state that has the 7th largest population in the nation. It’s surrounded by natural attractions like the Ohio River, Appalachian Mountains, and Lake Erie.
In Ohio, you can also explore Amish Country, a number of art museums, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, amusement parks, and more.
Quick Facts
Capital: Columbus
Population: 11.5 million
Nickname: The Buckeye State
Key Cities: Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, Toledo, Akron
Postal Abbreviation: OH
Major Industries: Automotive, steel, agriculture, small appliances, aerospace
History
How did Ohio get its name: The name Ohio originally belonged to the Ohio River. It comes from an Iroquois word meaning “great river.”
The Iroquois Native American tribe had settled between the Ohio River and Great Lakes beginning around 1650.
Date admitted to the Union: Tuesday, March 1, 1803
Related: Ohio State History
Geography
Size: 44,825 sq. miles
Lowest point: Ohio River at 455 ft.
Highest point: Campbell Hill at 1,549 ft.
Counties: 88
Famous locations: Cedar Point, Hocking Hills State Park, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Amish Country, National Museum of the U.S. Air Force
Famous Ohioans
Neil Armstrong- astronaut
Lebron James- basketball player
Katt Williams- comedian
Halle Berry- actress
Steven Spielberg- producer/director
Sarah Jessica Parker- actress
Fun Facts
Seven U.S. presidents were born in Ohio: James A. Garfield, Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, William H. Taft, and Warren G. Harding.
The first airplane was invented by Orville and Wilbur Wright, commonly known as the Wright Brothers. The Wright Brothers were born in Dayton, Ohio.
Harry M. Stevens from Ohio gave America the first hotdog in 1900. Ohio also had the first stoplight (Cleveland, 1914) and first ambulance service (Cincinnati, 1865).
Akron, Ohio was the first city to use police cars.
Ohio has the record for the world’s largest basket. It’s the Longaberger Company headquarters in in Newark, New Jersey and is seven stories high and 180,000 square feet.
50% of the U.S. population lives within a 500 mile radius of Columbus, Ohio.
Ohio legend has it that a serpent-type monster nicknamed Bessie lives in Lake Erie. She’s also called the Erie Lake Monster and has supposedly been sighted a lot over the last 100 years.
The New York Times even wrote a story on Bessie in 1931!
