Ohio

Seven U.S. presidents were born in Ohio, the Wright brothers built their first airplanes here, and Neil Armstrong grew up in Wapakoneta. A trip to Ohio is a journey into the industrial heartland of the United States: cities on Lake Erie and the Ohio River, gentle hills in the south, and the country's largest Amish settlement. The only time things get really loud is at the football rivalry game against Michigan.

Landscape Between Lake Erie and the Ohio River

The north borders Lake Erie, where islands such as South Bass Island, with the village of Put-in-Bay, become popular summer getaways. In the west, flat farmland planted with corn and soybeans dominates. The southeast belongs to the Appalachian Plateau, with forests, gorges, and sandstone caves in Hocking Hills State Park, including Old Man's Cave and the waterfall at Ash Cave. The southern border is formed by the Ohio River, lined with old river towns such as Marietta, founded in 1788 as the first permanent settlement in the Northwest Territory. Along the river, steep bluffs, vineyards, and small ferry landings alternate.

Cities: Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati

Columbus, the capital and largest city, is home to Ohio State University, with one of the biggest football stadiums in the country. German Village, with its 19th-century brick houses, and the arts district Short North are lively neighborhoods. Cleveland on Lake Erie is home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in a glass building by I. M. Pei, a top-notch art museum with free admission, and the West Side Market. Cincinnati on the Ohio River has a history shaped by German immigrants, visible in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood with its Italianate facades. Toledo is known for its glass industry and its art museum, Akron for the tire industry, and Dayton for aviation. Suburbs such as West Chester, between Cincinnati and Dayton, are growing rapidly.

Sights in Ohio

The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force near Dayton is the largest military aviation museum in the world, and admission is free. In Holmes County, around Berlin and Millersburg, lives one of the largest Amish communities in the United States, with cheese factories, furniture workshops, and horse-drawn buggies on the country roads. Cuyahoga Valley National Park between Cleveland and Akron offers waterfalls, bike paths along an old canal, and a scenic railroad. Cedar Point in Sandusky on Lake Erie, with its many roller coasters, is considered one of the best-known amusement parks in the world. Other Ohio destinations include the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton and the prehistoric earthworks of the Hopewell culture, which have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2023, including Serpent Mound and the sites in Newark.

History and Culture

In 1803, Ohio became the first state to emerge from the Northwest Territory. Before settlers arrived, Indigenous cultures had built earthworks and burial mounds over thousands of years. In the 19th century, canals, railroads, and immigrants from Germany, Ireland, and Eastern Europe brought prosperity. Cincinnati was an important stop on the Underground Railroad, along which enslaved people escaped to freedom; the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center commemorates this history. Steel, automobiles, and rubber made Cleveland, Akron, and Toledo great, followed later by a painful economic transformation. Today the cities are betting on medicine, education, and culture.

Food and Drink

Cincinnati chili is a specialty created by Greek immigrants: a meat sauce spiced with cinnamon and cloves, served over spaghetti and topped with a mountain of shredded cheese. In Cleveland, people eat pierogi and corned beef sandwiches; in Amish country, you'll find farm-style cooking with chicken, mashed potatoes, and pies. Buckeyes, peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate, are the sweet calling card of the "Buckeye State." Goetta, a grain sausage of German origin, is a breakfast favorite in Cincinnati.

Getting There and Best Time to Visit

The main airports are Cleveland (CLE) and Columbus (CMH); Cincinnati is served by CVG airport in neighboring Kentucky. From Europe, you will usually need to change planes. The highway network is dense, and distances between cities rarely exceed two to three hours. The best time to visit is between May and October, when the amusement parks and islands are open; in fall, the Hocking Hills are especially beautiful with their colorful foliage. In winter, Lake Erie can bring heavy lake-effect snow.