Ohio Facts

Capital: Columbus

State abbreviation/Postal code: Ohio/OH

U.S. Representatives: 16

Entered Union (rank): March 1, 1803 (17)

Present constitution adopted: 1851

Motto: With God all things are possible

State symbols:

flower scarlet carnation (1904)
tree buckeye (1953)
bird cardinal (1933)
insect ladybug (1975)
gemstone flint (1965)
song Beautiful Ohio (1969)
beverage tomato juice (1965)
fossil trilobite (1985)
animal white-tailed deer (1988)
wildflower large white trillium (1987)
Nickname: Buckeye State

Origin of name: From an Iroquoian word meaning "great river"

10 largest cities (2010 est.): Columbus, 787,033; Cleveland, 396,8158; Cincinnati, 296,943; Toledo, 287,208; Akron, 199,110; Dayton, 141,527; Parma, 81,601; Youngstown, 66,982; Canton, 73,007; Lorain, 64,097

Land area: 44,825 sq mi (116,096 km2)

Geographic center: In Delaware Co., 25 mi. NNE of Columbus

Number of counties: 88

Largest county by population and area: Cuyahoga, 1,280,122 (2010); Ashtabula, 703 sq mi.

State forests: 20 (more than 183,000 ac.)

State parks: 74 (more than 204,000 ac.)

Residents: Ohioan

2015 resident population est.: 11,613,423



Popular Ohio Tourist Attractions

• Cedar Point: Amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio.
• Kings Island: Amusement park and water park in Mason, Ohio.
• Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden: Zoo and botanical garden in Cincinnati, Ohio.
• Columbus Zoo and Aquarium: Zoo and aquarium in Columbus, Ohio.
• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Museum in Cleveland, Ohio.
• The Wilds: Safari park in Cumberland, Ohio.
• Toledo Zoo and Aquarium: Zoo and aquarium in Toledo, Ohio.
• Playhouse Square: Theater in Cleveland, Ohio.
• Top Thrill Dragster: Roller coast in the Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio.
• Cleveland Museum of Art: Art museum in Cleveland, Ohio.
• Easton Town Center: Shopping complex in Cleveland, Ohio.
• Zoombezi Bay: Water park in Powell, Ohio, near Columbus.
• Akron Zoo: Zoo in Akron, Ohio.
• Cincinnati Museum Center: A group of three museums in the same building in Cincinnati, Ohio.
• Franklin Park Conservatory: Botanical garden in Columbus, Ohio.
• Hocking Hills State Park: State park in Logan, Ohio.
• Mad River Mountain: Ski resort in Valley Hi, Ohio.
• Mohican State Park: State park in Loudonville, Ohio.

Ohio Fun Facts

• The state of Ohio was named after the river 'Ohio'. The Ohio river was named for the Iroquois word ohi-yo', meaning "great river."
• Ohio is nicknamed the Buckeye State because of the buckeye trees commonly found throughout the Ohio River Valley.
• Ohio's swallowtail flag is the only non-rectangular U.S. state flag.
• Founded in 1869, Cincinnati Red Stockings was the first professional baseball team. In its tour it went 57-0, and won the first game 45-9.
• The first speeding ticket for an automobile driver was given by a policeman in Dayton, Ohio, in 1904, to Harry Myers for going 12 miles per hour on West Third Street.
• On August 5, 1914, the American Traffic Signal Company installed the first traffic signal system in the United States on the corner of East 105th Street and Euclid Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio.
• Cleveland is home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
• The Pro Football Hall of Fame is located in Canton, Ohio.
• Columbus Crew Stadium is the first soccer-specific stadium in the United States.
• In Ohio, it is illegal to get a fish drunk.