#0excludeGlossary
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 |
| Before statehood | Northwest Territory |
| 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 (2025) | |
• Total |  11,900,510 |
| • 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 (/oʊˈhaɪ.oʊ/ ⓘ oh-HY-oh) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Canadian province of Ontario to the north (through Lake Erie), Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the west, and Michigan to the northwest. Ohio is the 34th-largest state by area, at 44,825 sq mi (116,100 km2), and the seventh-most populous state, with a population of nearly 11.9 million. Its capital and most populous city is Columbus, with other major metropolitan cities including Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton, Akron, and Toledo.
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". Its geography is varied, with rolling glaciated plains across most of the state, rugged unglaciated hills in the southeastern Allegheny Plateau, and Lake Erie coastline to the north. At the time of European contact, the area known as the Ohio Country was inhabited by Algonquian and Iroquoian nations, and was contested among Native American tribes, Britain, and France. Following American independence, Ohio was organized as part of the Northwest Territory and achieved statehood in 1803. Ohio was the first state admitted under the Northwest Ordinance and the first post-colonial free state admitted to the union.
Ohio is one of the nation's leading manufacturing states and has historically been known as the heart of American industry; although Ohio has shifted to a more information and service-based economy in the 21st century, it ranks seventh in GDP as of 2025[update], with the third-largest manufacturing sector and second-largest automobile production. The state also has a large agriculture sector. Tourism in Ohio is driven by attractions such as Cedar Point, the National Museum of the United States Air Force and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as well as recreation areas including Cuyahoga Valley National Park and 76 state parks. Ohio is nicknamed the "Buckeye State" after its Ohio buckeye trees. It is also known as the "Mother of Presidents", having been the birthplace of seven U.S. presidents, and the "Birthplace of Aviation", as the Wright brothers designed and built the world's first successful airplane in Ohio before its first flight in North Carolina.