Ohio State Almanac: Facts and Figures

Quick Facts, Figures, and Overview of the State of Ohio

Ohio is one of the East North Central states of the US. Ohio's southern border is defined by the Ohio River (with the border being at the 1793 low-water mark on the north side of the river), and much of the northern border is defined by Lake Erie. Ohio's neighbors are Pennsylvania to the east, Michigan to the northwest, Ontario Canada, to the north, Indiana to the west, Kentucky on the south, and West Virginia on the southeast. In addition, the state controls around 3,457 sq. km of Lake Erie, which borders the state in the north. Ohio is the name that the Iroquois Indians used when referring to the river and means "large" or "beautiful river."

Ohio has been a major manufacturing state since the 19th century and in the early 1990s was especially associated with the production of transportation equipment, iron and steel, and rubber items. Today, Ohio is one of the nation's industrial leaders, ranking third in manufacturing employment nationwide. Important manufacturing centers are located in or near Ohio's major cities. Akron is known for rubber; Canton for roller bearings; Cincinnati for jet engines and machine tools; Cleveland for auto assembly, auto parts, and steel; Dayton for office machines, refrigeration, and heating and auto equipment; Youngstown and Steubenville for steel; and Toledo for glass and auto parts. The state's fertile soil produces soybeans, corn, oats, greenhouse and nursery products, wheat, hay, and fruit, including apples, peaches, strawberries, and grapes. More than half of Ohio's farm receipts come from dairy farming and sheep and hog raising. Ohio ranks fourth among the states in lime production and also ranks high in sand and gravel and crushed stone production.