Ohio (/oʊˈhaɪ.oʊ/ ⓘ oh-HY-oh) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the west, and Michigan to the northwest. Of the 50 U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area. With a population of nearly 11.9 million, Ohio is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated state. Its capital and most populous city is Columbus, with other major metropolitan centers including Cleveland and Cincinnati, as well as Dayton, Akron, and Toledo. Ohio is nicknamed the "Buckeye State" after its Ohio buckeye trees, and Ohioans are also known as "Buckeyes".
Ohio | |
|---|---|
| Nicknames: The Buckeye State; Birthplace of Aviation; The Heart of It All | |
| Motto: | |
| Anthem: "Beautiful Ohio" | |
 Location of Ohio within the United States | |
| Country | United States |
| Admitted to the Union | March 1, 1803 (17th, declared retroactively on August 7, 1953) |
| Capital (and largest city) | Columbus |
| Largest metro and urban areas | Greater Cleveland (combined and urban) Cincinnati (metro) Columbus (metro) (see footnotes) |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Mike DeWine (R) |
| • Lieutenant Governor | Jim Tressel (R) |
| Legislature | General Assembly |
| • Upper house | Senate |
| • Lower house | House of Representatives |
| Judiciary | Supreme Court of Ohio |
| U.S. senators | Bernie Moreno (R) Jon Husted (R) |
| U.S. House delegation | 10 Republicans 5 Democrats (list) |
| Area | |
• Total | 44,825 sq mi (116,096 km2) |
| • Land | 40,987 sq mi (106,156 km2) |
| • Water | 3,880 sq mi (10,040 km2) 8.7% |
| • Rank | 34th |
| Dimensions | |
| • Length | 221 mi (355 km) |
| • Width | 221 mi (355 km) |
| Elevation | 850 ft (260 m) |
| Highest elevation | 1,549 ft (472 m) |
| Lowest elevation (Ohio River at Indiana border) | 456 ft (139 m) |
| Population (2024) | |
• Total |  11,883,304 |
| • Rank | 7th |
| • Density | 280/sq mi (109/km2) |
| • Rank | 10th |
| • Median household income | $67,800 (2023) |
| • Income rank | 36th |
| Demonym(s) | Ohioan; Buckeye (colloq.) |
| Language | |
| • Official language | De jure: None De facto: English |
| • Spoken language | English 93.3% Spanish 2.2% Other 4.5% |
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (EDT) |
| USPS abbreviation | OH |
| ISO 3166 code | US-OH |
| Traditional abbreviation | O., Oh. |
| Latitude | 38°24′ N to 41°59′ N |
| Longitude | 80°31′ W to 84°49′ W |
| Website | ohio |
| List of state symbols | |
|---|---|
 | |
.svg) | |
 | |
| Slogan | The Heart Of It All |
| Living insignia | |
| Amphibian | Spotted salamander |
| Bird | Cardinal (1933) |
| Flower |
|
| Fruit | Pawpaw |
| Insect | Ladybug (1975) |
| Mammal | White-tailed deer (1987) |
| Reptile | Black racer snake (1995) |
| Tree | Buckeye (1953) |
| Inanimate insignia | |
| Beverage | Tomato juice (1965) |
| Fossil | Isotelus maximus, a trilobite (1985) |
| Gemstone | Ohio flint (1965) |
| State route marker | |
 | |
| State quarter | |
 Released in 2002 | |
| Lists of United States state symbols | |
Ohio derives its name from the Ohio River that forms its southern border, which, in turn, originated from the Seneca word ohiːyo', meaning "good river", "great river", or "large creek". The state was home to several ancient indigenous civilizations, with humans present as early as 10,000 BC. It arose from the lands west of the Appalachian Mountains that were contested by various native tribes and European colonists from the 17th century through the Northwest Indian Wars of the late 18th century. Ohio was partitioned from the Northwest Territory, the first frontier of the new United States, becoming the 17th state admitted to the Union on March 1, 1803, and the first under the Northwest Ordinance. It was the first post-colonial free state admitted to the union and became one of the earliest and most influential industrial powerhouses during the 20th century.
Although Ohio has shifted to a more information and service-based economy in the 21st century, it remains an industrial state, ranking seventh in GDP as of 2019[update], with the third-largest manufacturing sector and second-largest automobile production. Seven presidents of the United States have come from the state, earning it the moniker "the Mother of Presidents".
