Ready to explore a place that’s full of cool history, awesome sports, and even astronauts? Buckle up, because we’re about to zoom into some fun facts about Ohio, a state right in the heart of America. Ohio is known for its big cities, beautiful countryside, and friendly people. So, let’s start our adventure and discover why Ohio is such an interesting place!
First off, Ohio has a nickname. Did you know it’s called the “Buckeye State?”
But wait, what’s a buckeye? It’s actually a type of tree that grows nuts that look like the eye of a deer, or a buck. People in Ohio love these trees so much that they even named a candy after them, which is super yummy and looks just like the nut!
And did you know that Ohio is kind of like a superhero factory for astronauts? Yep, some of the most famous space explorers, like Neil Armstrong, the first person to walk on the moon, and John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth, were from Ohio. It must be something in the water there that makes people dream big about space!
And for all you sports fans, Ohio is a playground of sports! Whether it’s football, baseball, or basketball, there’s always a game to watch. Ohio loves its sports teams, and you can feel the excitement everywhere, from big stadiums to small school fields.
So, are you ready to learn more about this amazing place? From its cool history to the fun things to do, Ohio is full of surprises. Let’s jump in and find out all the neat things that make Ohio special with these facts about Ohio. Here we go, Ohio explorers!
Don’t forget to grab your free Ohio fact cards below!
Are you collecting all our fact cards? Be sure to grab our Facts About Seattle and our Facts About North Carolina.
Best Facts about Ohio
- Key cities like Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, and Toledo hold Ohio’s population, reflecting urbanization and suburban expansion.
- A large white “O” in the center not only signifies “Ohio” but also honors the state’s nickname, the “Buckeye State,” known for its buckeye trees.
- You can take tours of a house made entirely of trash, affectionately referred to as ‘House of Trash’ in Philo. Spoiler: It’s actually totally cool.
- Superman was created in Cleveland, Ohio
- The Ohio state beverage is tomato juice
- Ohio has more than 200 waterfalls
- The Ohio State Fair is one of the largest in the nation
- The official animal of Ohio is the white-tailed deer
- Astronaut and oldest American in space, John Glenn, was born in Ohio.
- Brewster Dairy is the largest producer of Swiss cheese in the country
- The Bittner is a Canton favorite
- The oldest professional observatory that is still in operation in the United States is The Cincinnati Observatory, which was established in 1842.
- Ohio is the birthplace of professional baseball
- In 1912, a chocolate manufacturer named Clarence Crane, from Cleveland, Ohio, invented Life Savers® as a “summer candy.”
- By state law, no one may be arrested on a Sunday or on the Fourth of July in Ohio, which is awesome and not enforced.
- Akron was the first city to use police cars.
- Ohio has diverse age groups, from younger urban residents to aging rural populations, impacting the healthcare and education sectors.
- Ohio is the 17th state
- 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.
- The nation’s first ambulance service
- The Cincinnati Reds were America’s first professional baseball team.
- In 1959, a Kettering resident and engineer named Ermal Fraze invented the pop-top which is now used by every beer and soda company in the world.
- The first professional baseball team was the Cincinnati Reds
- Ohio has the largest Amish population of any state in the nation.
- The flag’s swallowtail design sets it apart with a large triangle on the hoist end and two smaller triangles on the fly end.
- Some well-known personalities were born in Ohio. Among them are Steven Spielberg, Paul Newman, Annie Oakley, Arsenio Hall, and Clark Gable.
- Buckeye is a nickname for Ohio, but it is also a chocolate-covered ball of peanut butter treat.
- The Pro Football Hall of Fame is in Canton, Ohio
- The first full-time automobile service station opened in 1899 in Ohio.9. Oberlin College, founded in 1833, was the first interracial and coeducational college in the United States.
- Ohio experiences moderate growth with varying patterns due to migration trends. Urban areas grow, rural areas face decline, and brain drain poses challenges.
- The world’s largest horseshoe crab is more than 55 feet long and lives in Blanchester.
- The name Ohio comes from the Iroquois term “Ohi: yo,” which means “the great river,” about the Ohio River.
- Neil Armstrong is from Ohio
- The inventor of the traffic light and gas mask, Garrett Morgan, is from Cleveland, Ohio.
- In 1914, the world’s first electric traffic light was installed on the corner of Euclid Avenue and East 105th Street in Cleveland, Ohio.
- Ohio is home to the largest cuckoo clock in the world
- The capital of Ohio state is Columbus
- Fifty percent of the United States population lives within a 500-mile radius of Columbus, Ohio.
- Ohio is blessed with an extensive network of water resources, including rivers, lakes, and reservoirs.
- The first supermarket scanner used commercially was on June 26, 1974, at a Marsh grocery store in Troy, Ohio.
- Ohio’s state flag is not a rectangle like other flags—it’s a pennant design, and it’s the only state flag in the United States with that design.
- In Brewster Ohio is considered the largest manufacturer of all-natural Swiss Cheese in the U.S, producing 85 million pounds per year.
- The population of Ohio is over 11,780,000
- Dayton, Ohio, is home to the National US Air Force Museum
- The Great Serpent Mound is located in Adams County and it is the largest serpent effigy in the world.
- Roy J. Plunkett of New Carlisle, Ohio invented Teflon in 1938.
- It is illegal to fish for whales on a Sunday in Ohio
- Ohio’s wildlife thrives in a range of diverse ecosystems, including deciduous forests, wetlands, grasslands, and lakes.
- One of the most iconic wildlife species in Ohio is the white-tailed deer.
- Almost twenty percent of the state’s population lives in rural areas
- Lifesaver candy was invented in Ohio
- Cedar Point, an amusement park, is in Ohio
- It is illegal for more than five women to live in one house in Ohio.
- The state bird of Ohio is the cardinal
- Chili is an obsession in Cincinnati
- Ohio ranks 7th in the U.S. with over 11.7 million people, contributing significantly to the nation’s population.
- The fast food chain, Wendy’s, was founded by Dave Thomas in Columbus, Ohio in 1969.
- Thomas A. Edison, the inventor of the incandescent light bulb, the phonograph, and the early motion picture camera, was from Milan.
- The Ohio River forms the 451-mile southern border of Ohio
- Dresden is the home of the world’s largest basket. It is located at Basket Village USA.
- Cincinnati was the first place in the United States to have a civilian ambulance service in 1865.
- Ohio’s professional basketball team is the Cleveland Cavaliers.
- There is an alley dedicated to drummer Dave Grohl in his hometown of Warren, Ohio.
- Oberlin College, founded in 1833, was the first interracial and coeducational college in the United States.
- Representing Ohio’s status as the 17th state to join the U.S., the 17 stars on the blue field depict the night sky over Columbus on the date of statehood.
- John Lambert of Ohio City made America’s first automobile in 1891.
- Ohio holds the record for the world’s largest basket, the Longaberger Company headquarters building in Newark. It’s seven stories high and 180,000 square feet.
- The Ohio State University is the third-largest university in the country
- The first police car was used in Ohio
- The first airplane was invented by Dayton natives the Wright Brothers.
- The very first mechanical cash register was invented in Dayton.
- Kelleys Island has the largest and most easily accessible Glacial Grooves in the world.
- It is unlawful to leave chewing gum in public places in Cleveland.
- The popular childhood drawing toy Etch A Sketch was launched in 1960 by the Ohio Art Company in Bryan, Ohio.
- Almost every year since 1903, Circleville, Ohio, has hosted its annual pumpkin festival.
Do you have even more interesting facts about Ohio? Share them with us in the comments! Also, don’t forget to grab your free moon fact cards to add to your collection!
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Michele is a mom of 5 with her degree in marriage and family studies. She believes that one of the best ways you can spend time with your family is doing fun things together.