Founded in 1803, Ohio has a rich history with a great deal that sets it apart as a truly unique state in America. As the birthplace of presidents, athletes, and inventors, Ohio has contributed so much to the world. Why is it called the Buckeye State? What kind of wildlife can you find in Ohio? What sports teams are from the area? We’ve compiled a list of fun facts about Ohio so you can get those answers and many more!
100+ Amazing Fun Facts about Ohio!
Ohio is the birthplace of seven Presidents of the United States: James A. Garfield, Ulysses S. Grant, Warren G. Harding, Benjamin Harrison, Rutherford B. Hayes, William McKinley and William Howard Taft.
William Henry Harrison was born in Virginia, but made a home in Ohio and is often claimed as an Ohio president. That is why Ohio is sometimes referred to as the “mother of presidents.”
OH is the abbreviation for the state of Ohio.
In the 18th century when Ohio was settled, Buckeye trees were prevalent in the area. Therefore, Ohio got the nickname the Buckeye state.
In 1840, Ohio native, William Henry Harrison won the presidency, and his supporters made campaign souvenirs out of buckeye wood.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park is the national park in Ohio. Get more details about the other national parks in Ohio including historical sites, memorials and monuments.
Hocking Hills is one of the most popular of Ohio’s 75 state parks and protected areas. Browse our list of the best things to do in Hocking Hills before you plan your trip.
Ohio borders Lake Erie, which is the fourth largest of the five Great Lakes. There are also many more amazing lakes in Ohio you’ll want to visit.
Ohio is the 34th largest state by land area.
Cleveland, Ohio is home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which is a museum that documents rock music throughout the generations.
At the center of the state is Columbus, the capital of Ohio. Get details on the top things to do in Columbus Ohio including a visit to the Ohio History Center.
Ohio was the 17th state founded in the United States in 1803.
The state bird of Ohio is the cardinal.
The state flower of Ohio is the red carnation.
The Ohio state flag is not rectangular in design. It is the only pennant designed flag in the United States.
Ravenna, Ohio is known as “flag city,” where the Ohio State flag was created.
Explorers can find beach glass originating from shipwrecks along the shores of Lake Erie. Read out tips for searching and the best places to go to find Lake Erie beach glass.
Thomas Edison, famous for inventing the incandescent light bulb, the phonograph, and the motion picture camera, was born in Milan, Ohio.
Ohio is home to two Major League Baseball teams: the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Guardians.
Twinsburg, Ohio is home to the Twins Festival, the largest annual gathering of twins and multiples in the world. Get more details on the Twins Festival and many more unique festivals in Ohio.
The Cincinnati Reds, originally known at the Cincinnati Red Stockings, were the first professional baseball team in the United States, founded in 1869. Find more fun things to do in Cincinnati Ohio including the Reds Hall of Fame Museum.
The National Inventors Hall of Fame is located in North Canton, Ohio.
Ohio was declared by Congress in 2003 as the “Birthplace of Aviation” because Wilbur and Orville Wright, the brothers who flew the first aircraft, were born in Dayton, Ohio. Find more fun things to do in Dayton Ohio including the Dayton Air Force Museum.
The first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong, was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio.
The state of Ohio is about 44,825 square miles.
Ohio was the first state to enact laws that protected working women in 1852.
Marietta was the first permanent settlement in Ohio in 1788 and named after Marie Antoinette.
In 1981, John Lambert invented and drove the first American gasoline-powered automobile around the streets of Ohio City.
Fast-food chain Arby’s was founded in Boardman, Ohio.
Ohio University is recognized as the first university in the state of Ohio, founded in 1804.
Lake Erie is said to have a serpent-like monster named Bessie that was featured in the New York Times in 1931.
Cincinnati Fire Department was the first professional, fully-paid fire department in the United States, established in 1853.
Brewster Dairy is the largest producer of swiss cheese in the country.
Cincinnati was the first place in the United States to have a civilian ambulance service in 1865.
In 1938, Roy J. Plunkett of New Carlisle invented Teflon.
In 1839, Charles Goodyear from Akron, Ohio invented the process of vulcanizing rubber.
Dublin, Ohio hosts one of the largest Irish festivals in the world, the Dublin Irish Festival.
The official state song of Ohio is called “Beautiful Ohio.”
Fostoria, Ohio is the only city that is located in three counties: Wood, Hancock and Seneca.
Canton, Ohio is home to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, where the National Football League was founded in 1920. Find more fun things to do in Canton Ohio including more details about the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Astronaut and oldest American in space, John Glenn, was born in Ohio.
Brandywine Falls is the most popular waterfall in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. It has a 65-foot drop and can easily be accessed using one of the two wooden observation decks. You may also be interested in checking out these other stunning waterfalls in Ohio
According to NASA, 25 astronauts have called Ohio home, making it the fourth largest producing state of astronauts.
General Mills, of Akron, Ohio, trademarked Quaker Oats as the first breakfast cereal in 1877.
The oldest professional observatory that is still in operation in the United States is The Cincinnati Observatory, which was established in 1842.
Homes County is home to one of the largest Amish communities in the world. Use our top picks for things to do in Amish Country Ohio to plan your getaway.
The Ohio River receives its name from the Iroquois word, “O-Y-O,” meaning “the great river.”
In 1912, a chocolate manufacturer named Clarence Crane, from Cleveland, Ohio, invented Life Savers® as a “summer candy.”
With a rich history of rubber and tire manufacturing, Akron is known as the “Rubber Capital of the World.” Want to spend a day exploring Akron? Check out the best things to do in Akron Ohio.
The Great Serpent Mound is located in Adams County and it is the largest serpent effigy in the world.
The inventor of the traffic light and gas mask, Garrett Morgan, is from Cleveland, Ohio.
The first concrete street in America was poured in 1891 in Bellefontaine, Ohio.
Beer Barrel Saloon in Put-in-Bay on South Bass Island was awarded the longest permanent continuous bar by the Guiness Book of World Records at 406 feet. Experience island life in Ohio with these fun things to do in Put in Bay.
Ohio is home to the longest covered bridge in the United States. The Smolen Gulf Bridge is 613ft long and is 93ft above the Ashtabula River. Find more covered bridges in Ohio including one that is only 18 ft long.
Oberlin College was the first college in the United States to admit women and to admit black students.
Ohio’s professional basketball team is the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Dittrick Museum of Medical History in Cleveland has the most comprehensive collection of historical contraceptives in the world.
The house from the film A Christmas Story is located in Cleveland and is a museum and gift shop, giving tours throughout the year. Find more fun things to do in Cleveland Ohio including more details about the A Christmas Story House & Museum.
The 1994 film Shawshank Redemption was filmed at the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield.
The National Museum of the United States Air Force is located near Dayton, Ohio and is the largest and oldest military aviation museum in the world.
Annie Oakley, star of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show, was born in Ohio.
Squire’s Castle, a registered national landmark, is located in the Cleveland Metro Parks North Chagrin Reservation and is a popular site to visit for weddings, hikers and castle enthusiasts. Find even more impressive castles in Ohio
Kelleys Island has the largest and most easily accessible Glacial Grooves in the world.
The Ohio State University is the third largest university by enrollment in the country.
Ohio has two professional football teams: the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns.
Buckeye is a nickname for Ohio, but it is also a chocolate-covered ball of peanut butter treat.
“Duct Tape Capital of the World“ is in Avon, Ohio, where the DUCK duct tape brand was created. Today the town still hosts an annual duct tape festival.
Bob Evans, the founder of the Bob Evans franchise, is from Rio Grande, Ohio, where his original farm still exists today.
The highest point in Ohio is Campbell Hill in Logan County and the lowest point in Ohio is the Ohio River.
The Ohio and Erie Canalway is a 110-mile National Heritage site.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are Ohio’s team in the National Hockey League.
People have lived in what is now Ohio for at least 13,000 years. Ground sloths with markings from human tools at least that old give us clues to human inhabitation.
French explorer, Robert de La Salle, was the first non-native person to come to the area in 1670.
In 1879 Cleveland, Ohio became the first city in America to demonstrate public electric lighting with 12 outdoor lights lining the Public Square road.
The person who holds the record for the youngest and oldest national checkers champion is Asa A. Long of Antwerp, Ohio.
Cedar Point is an amusement park located in Sandusky, Ohio and is known as the “roller coaster capital of the world.” You’ll also want to visit these other fun amusement parks in Ohio
The largest troll collection in the world is located in Alliance, Ohio.
The first police car in the United States was an electric wagon in Akron, Ohio in 1899.
More than 300,000 Ohioans served in the Union Army during the Civil War.
In 1911, Charles Kettering of Loudonville invented the first automobile self-starter.
Ohio is the only state in the United States that you can not spell using the letters in the word “mackerel.”
In 1914, the first traffic light in the United States was installed by American Traffic Signal Company in Cleveland, Ohio.
The white-tailed deer is Ohio’s state animal.
Ohio’s official state beverage is tomato juice.
Ohio has two Major League Soccer Teams: Columbus Crew and FC Cincinnati.
The fast food chain, Wendy’s, was founded by Dave Thomas in Columbus, Ohio in 1969.
In 1923, Cleveland High School students, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, created Superman.
In 1896, John Gilman used X-Rays for surgery for the first time in Marietta.
Nearly 50 percent of the United States population lives within a 600-mile radius of the city of Columbus.
In 1899 the first full-time automobile service station opened.
The largest drumsticks in the world are located near Youngstown Ohio in David Grohl Alley. Find even more fun things to do in Youngstown Ohio
The ladybug is Ohio’s state bug.
The world’s largest basket is a seven-story building, which is the former Longaberger Basket Company.
NBA basketball stars Lebron James and Stephen Curry were both born at the same hospital: Akron General Medical Center.
The hot dog, the drinking straw and the baseball scorecard were all invented in an Ohio stadium by Harry M. Stevens.
DeHart Hubbard, born in Cincinnati, was the first African-American athlete to win an Olympic Gold Medal in 1924.
Ohio has won 17 professional sports titles: Browns (8), Reds (5), Indians/now Guardians (2), Cavaliers (1), Rams (1).
Originally called the “mechanical money drawer,” the cash register was invented by Ohio native James Jacob Ritty.
Ohio’s official rock song is “Hang On Sloopy,” and it is the only state to have one.
The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden is the second oldest zoo in the United States. There are also several other amazing zoos in Ohio
Some famous personalities to come from Ohio include: Steven Spielberg, Paul Newman, John Legend, Drew Carey, Arsenio Hall and Clark Gable.
Ohio is said to have had the most active network of the Underground Railroad of any state with 3000 miles of routes. Today, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is located in Cincinnati.
The world’s largest horseshoe crab statue is located in Hillsboro, Ohio.
Almost every year since 1903, Circleville, Ohio, has hosted its annual pumpkin festival.
Frequently Asked Questions; For More Curious Learners!
What is the Time Zone for Ohio?
The time zone for the state of Ohio is Eastern Daylight Time. Speaking of time, Sugarcreek, Ohio is home to the World’s Largest Cuckoo Clock! It is more than 23 feet tall and 24 feet wide.
What is the Capital of Ohio?
The Capital of Ohio is Columbus, named after Christopher Columbus. It is also the largest city in population in the state and the 14th largest city in the United States. Chillicothe was the original Capital of Ohio, it was briefly moved to Zanesville for two years before returning to Chillicothe. In 1816 Columbus was chosen as the Capital of Ohio, as it is close to the center of the state.
What does Ohio mean?
The word Ohio came from the Iroquois word, “O-Y-O,” meaning “great river.” By 1650, the Iroquois Indians began settling in the area between the Ohio River and the Great Lakes. The name Ohio was taken from the Ohio River.
When did Ohio become a state?
Technically Ohio officially became a state on February 19, 1803 by an act of Congress. However, Ohio’s statehood is celebrated on March 1 because that is when the Ohio legislature met for the first time. Ohio was the 17th state in the United States.
How many Counties are in Ohio?
There are 88 counties in the state of Ohio. Each county has a board of county commissioners. The largest county by land area is Ashtabula County and the smallest county is Lake County.
What States Border Ohio?
Ohio is bordered by five states: Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky and Indiana. It also borders Lake Erie, one of the Great Lakes, in the North. Ohio can also be divided up into five geographical regions: northern Great Lakes Plains region, the Till Plains, the lowland region, the Appalachian Plateau, the Bluegrass Region.
You may be interested in: Discover more about the state when you visit these top things to do in Ohio
