Ohio at a Glance'

Heart of It All

From airplanes and light bulbs to roller coasters and zoos, see how Ohio is at the heart of it all.

Bridging the Northeast and Midwest regions of the United States, Ohio bills itself as the “Heart of It All.” From pastoral countryside and towering waterfalls to top amusement parks and exotic zoos, there’s a lot that makes this state tick.

Find out more about Ohio at DiscoverAmerica.com.

Capital: Columbus

Population: More than 11.5 million people live in the Buckeye State.

Geography: Ohio shares a border with Michigan and Canada to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the south and Indiana to the west. Lake Erie defines much of Ohio’s northern border and provides the Buckeye State with some 500 kilometers of coastline. The Ohio River forms the state’s southern border.

Higher Education: There are many public options in Ohio, with the most popular being Ohio State University (OSU). Founded in 1870, OSU is the third-largest university in the United States and one of the country’s top public research universities. Other public options in the state include Miami University in Oxford, and the University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati. The private Oberlin College is a leading liberal arts college in the United States. The school has the distinction of being the first college to grant undergraduate degrees to women.

Major Industries: In terms of percentage of gross domestic product, manufacturing and finance are Ohio’s largest industries. In fact, Ohio is the largest producer of plastics, rubber, fabricated metals, electrical equipment, and appliances in the United States. Other major industries include transportation, health care and education. Procter & Gamble, Goodyear Tires and Macy’s are all headquartered in the Buckeye State.

Sports: Major League Baseball teams Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians, National Basketball Association’s Cleveland Cavaliers, National Football League teams Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns and National Hockey League’s Columbus Blue Jackets.

Famous Ohioans: Seven U.S. presidents were born in Ohio: Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James Garfield, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, William H. Taft, and Warren G. Harding. Other famous Ohioans include inventor Thomas Edison, tire industrialists Harvey Samuel Firestone and William F. Goodrich, baseball greats Cy Young and Ty Cobb, actresses Halle Berry, Katie Holmes and Sarah Jessica Parker, actors Clark Gable, Paul Newman and Terrence Howard, model Brooklyn Decker, entertainer Dean Martin and director Steven Spielberg.

Pop Culture: The 2011 political drama The Ides of March starring George Clooney and Ryan Gosling, along with the 1994 drama The Shawshank Redemption starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, were filmed in Ohio. Television shows Clarissa Explains It All, The Drew Carey Show and Glee are all set in the Buckeye State.

Culinary Specialties: Cincinnati-style chili. This isn’t your mother’s chili. This is a thin meat sauce seasoned with a unique blend of spices (typically cinnamon, cloves, allspice or chocolate) and poured over spaghetti or hot dogs.

International connection: Ohio has seven sister states including Anambra, Nigeria; North Gyeongsang province, South Korea; Hubei province, China; Lower Austria, Austria; Paraná, Brazil; Saitama Prefecture, Japan; and Taiwan province, Taiwan.

Fun facts:

• William F. Semple, a dentist from Mount Vernon, Ohio, was the first person to patent a chewing gum.

• Neil Armstrong, from Wapakoneta, Ohio, was the first man to walk on the moon.

• With 10 players on the payroll, the Cincinnati Red Stockings became the first fully professional baseball team in 1869.

Adventure idea: Safari, Ohio-style! The Wilds is a 4,000-hectare conservation facility for exotic endangered animals. This nonprofit conservation center in rural southeastern Ohio cares for animals ranging from rhinos and giraffes to horned oryx and cheetahs. The facility combines conservation science and education with unique visitor experiences, so stop by to have one of your own!