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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Former president
Gerald Ford's wife
Betty Ford lived in
Toledo for a short period of time in the 1940s with her ex-husband before marrying Gerald Ford.
Kurt Rock,
Rapper and record producer born in Defiance, & from Continental
Actress
Katie Holmes is from Sylvania in Lucas County.
2006
Indianapolis 500 winner, 3 time Indy Car champion, and current
NASCAR driver
Sam Hornish Jr. was born in Bryan, grew up in Defiance, and now lives in Napoleon.
Children's television show host
Frances Horwich, also known as "Miss Frances", was born in Ottawa, Putnam County.