Northwest Ohio

What is considered to be Northwest Ohio, with the dark-blue colored counties always included, the middle shade of blue counties being included some of the time, and the lightest colored blue counties being included the least. The lighter the shade, the more debatable it is. With the exception of Marion County, all of the counties primarily belong to the 419/567 area code.
Map of Ohio counties, with the northwest region emphasized.

Northwest Ohio, or Northwestern Ohio, consists of multiple counties in the northwestern corner of the US state of Ohio. This area borders Lake Erie, Southeast Michigan, and northeastern Indiana. Some areas are also considered the Black Swamp area. The Toledo metropolitan area is part of the region.

Northwest Ohio's population in 2000 was 1,639,144 and is declining, specifically in the northern regions (counties shaded in the darker blue and Allen County). However, southern areas, such as Marion and Morrow counties, and the city of Findlay are growing.

Largest municipalities

Toledo is the principal city of Northwest Ohio. Most of the region's television channels and radio stations are licensed in Toledo, Perrysburg or nearby Bowling Green. Though Toledo is an industrial city, Northwest Ohio is primarily agricultural with small centers of commerce distributed across region. Since the 1970s, the population of Lucas County and the Toledo metropolitan area has declined, though Wood and Hancock counties have had moderate population growth.

Toledo is the region's principal and largest city
Bowling Green is Northwest Ohio's fourth largest city, and largest Toledo suburb
Downtown Lima, Ohio on a late March day
2018 rank City County 2018 estimate 2010 Census Change Highest Population (Year) Metropolitan Statistical Area
1 Toledo Lucas 274,975 287,208 −4.26%[1] 383,818 (1970) Toledo, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area
2 Findlay Hancock 41,324 41,202 +0.30%[1] 41,324 (2018) Findlay, OH Micropolitan Statistical Area
3 Lima Allen 36,862 38,771 −4.92%[1] 53,734 (1970) Lima, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area
4 Bowling Green Wood 31,578 30,028 +5.16%[1] 31,578 (2018) Toledo, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area
5 Perrysburg Wood 21,570 20,623 +4.59%[2] 21,570 (2018) Toledo, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area
6 Sylvania Lucas 19,030 18,965 +0.34%[3] 19,030 (2018) Toledo, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area
7 Tiffin Seneca 17,953 17,963 −0.06%[4] 21,596 (1970) Tiffin, OH Micropolitan Statistical Area
8 Defiance Defiance 16,663 16,494 +1.02%[5] 16,783 (1980) Defiance, OH Micropolitan Statistical Area
9 Fremont Sandusky 16,034 16,734 −4.18%[3] 18,767 (1960) Fremont, OH Micropolitan Statistical Area
10 Maumee Lucas 13,722 14,286 −3.95% 15,937 (1970) Toledo, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area

Places considered within northwest Ohio

Defiance, Ohio is the seventh largest town in the region

These places are or may be classified as being in Northwestern Ohio, depending on the definition being applied:

Counties and county seats

Other cities, villages, and townships

If a city is a county seat, it has been listed above according to the county in which it lies. Many of the cities, townships, and villages in Northwest Ohio are clustered in the Toledo MSA. This list is incomplete.

Cities

Villages

Townships

Toledo area townships

Other places

Extreme Northwest Ohio

What is considered to be Extreme Northwest Ohio is shaded in red including the counties of Defiance, Fulton, Henry, Paulding, Putnam, Van Wert, and Williams. Allen and Hancock counties are sometimes included in the geographical area and are shaded in a lighter red.
Extreme Northwest Ohio in Ohio

Extreme Northwest Ohio, or Far Northwestern Ohio, is a portion of Northwest Ohio best known as the Great Black Swamp area due to its natural history. The counties of Defiance, Fulton, Henry, Paulding, Putnam, Van Wert, and Williams in the state of Ohio are usually classified as Extreme Northwest Ohio.

According to the 2000 Census, the population of this portion of NW Ohio is 234,660. When Allen and Hancock counties are included, the population is 414,428. Just like any other region, there is no universally agreed-upon line for Northwestern Ohio, as the entire area is defined differently by the opinions of multiple people.

Principal Cities

City Population (2010 Census)
Bryan (Williams County) 8,545
Defiance (Defiance County) 16,494
Findlay (Hancock County) 41,202
Lima (Allen County) 38,771

Transportation

Transit

Local transit is available in three urban areas within Northwest Ohio. The Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority serves Toledo, the Allen County Regional Transit Authority serves Lima, and the Sandusky Transit System serves Sandusky.

Airports

See also: List of airports in Ohio

Toledo Express Airport (TOL), in suburban Swanton, is the largest airport in northwest Ohio. Toledo Express is served by seven major passenger airlines, and has been named one of the five best small airports in the Midwest. Toledo Express is also a major air cargo center, serving as the international hub for BAX Global. Toledo Express has begun a $22 million renovation project; As of 2007, the airport has expanded and renovated the central gate area of its single terminal, and is seeking an airline to offer direct service to New York City.

Toledo Express also hosts the corporate flight departments of Owens-Illinois, Owens-Corning, Pilkington, and Dana Holding Corporation. Grand Aire Express offers charter and air taxi services from its base at the airport. In education, the airport is a base of operations for FlightSafety International and Toledo Public Schools' aviation program, with flight instruction also offered by the airport's two fixed-base operators, who also provide fuel, repair, and storage for general aviation aircraft. Additionally, Toledo Express is a base for F-16 fighter jets of the Ohio Air National Guard, which has provided the airport additional funding for runway lengthening and safety enhancements.

Detroit Metropolitan Airport to the north, Port Columbus International Airport to the southeast, and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport to the east are the major or hub airports serving residents of Northwest Ohio. Detroit Metro is a "fortress hub" for Delta Air Lines and offers both domestic and international flights. Cleveland Hopkins is a hub for United Airlines and offers both domestic and international flights.

Charter and air taxi service is also available at several smaller airports, such as Toledo Metcalf Field, Findlay Airport, and Lima Allen County Airport. General aviation users can also land at any one of approximately 40 public-use airports (both publicly and privately owned) in Northwest Ohio.

KFDY (Findlay Airport) has both the second and third largest runway in Northwest Ohio with runway 18/36 at 6449 x 100 ft and runway 7/25 at 5883 x 100 ft. Runway 18/36 is capable of allowing aircraft such as the Boeing 767-200 to land and then take-off at MTOW if needed. KTOL (Toledo Express) has the largest runway in Northwest Ohio at 10,600 x 150 ft, making it capable of handling nearly any aircraft at MTOW.

Roads

Interstate 90 runs east-west through the upper part of Northwest Ohio. Interstate 75 runs from the Michigan border, through Toledo, south to Findlay, Lima, and to southwest Ohio.

Railroads

Amtrak serves the passenger train, the Lake Shore Limited in Bryan in the Extreme Northwest. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza in Toledo and Sandusky host Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited and Capitol Limited.

Notable people

Neil Armstrong in 1969

References

  1. ^ a b c d "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Lima city, Ohio; Bowling Green city, Ohio; Findlay city, Ohio; Toledo city, Ohio". census.gov.
  2. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Perrysburg city, Ohio". census.gov.
  3. ^ a b "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Sylvania city, Ohio; Fostoria city, Ohio; Fremont city, Ohio; Defiance city, Ohio". census.gov.
  4. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Tiffin city, Ohio". census.gov.
  5. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Defiance city, Ohio". census.gov.

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