Greater Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH–KY–IN Metropolitan Statistical Area | |
|---|---|
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Ohio Kentucky Indiana |
| Largest city |  Cincinnati |
| Counties | |
| Named after | Cincinnatus |
| Area | |
• Total | 4,808 sq mi (12,450 km2) |
| Elevation | 551 ft (168 m) |
| Population (2015)[2] | |
| • Metro density | 470/sq mi (181/km2) |
| • MSA | 2,256,884 (28th)[1] |
| MSA/CSA = 2015, Urban = 2013 | |
| GDP | |
| • Total | $198.889 billion (2023) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Area codes | 513, 283, 859, 937, 812 |
TheCincinnati metropolitan area (also known as theCincinnati Tri-State area orGreater Cincinnati) is ametropolitan area with itscore inOhio andKentucky.[4][5] Its largest city isCincinnati and includes surrounding counties in theU.S. states ofOhio,Kentucky, andIndiana.
TheUnited States Census Bureau's formal name for the area is theCincinnati, OH–KY–IN Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the2020 U.S. census, the metro area had a population of 2,256,884, making Greater Cincinnati the30th-most populous metropolitan area in the United States, and the largest metro area in Ohio, followed byColumbus andCleveland.[6] TheCincinnati–Wilmington, OH–KY–IN Combined Statistical Area, addsClinton County, Ohio (defined as the Wilmington, OHmicropolitan area) and, until 2023,Mason County, Kentucky (defined as the Maysville, KY micropolitan area), was part of the CSA.[7] The Cincinnati metropolitan area is considered part of theGreat Lakes megalopolis.
The Cincinnati metropolitan area was originally designated by theUnited States Census Bureau in 1950 and consisted of the Kentucky counties ofCampbell andKenton and the Ohio county ofHamilton. As surrounding counties saw an increase in their population densities and the number of their residents employed within Hamilton County, they met census criteria to be added to the MSA. The Hamilton–Middletown, OH MSA was also formed in 1950 and consisted solely ofButler County, Ohio.
In 1990, the census changed designation of the areas known as MSAs to Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area (PMSA), and a new Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area (CMSA) grouping was created. From 1990 through 2005, the Cincinnati–Hamilton–Middletown CMSA included the Cincinnati–Hamilton, OH–KY–IN PMSA and the Hamilton–Middletown, OH PMSA.
As of December 2005, census terminology changed again, eliminating the PMSA/CMSA terminology. Consolidated Statistical Areas (CSA) combine more than one Core Based Statistical Area (CBSA). Newly defined MSAs (Metropolitan) and μSAs (Micropolitan) Statistical Areas are CBSAs. From 2005 to 2013, the Cincinnati–Middletown–Wilmington CSA included the Cincinnati–Middletown MSA (defined as the old Cincinnati–Hamilton–Middletown CMSA), and Wilmington, OH μSA (Clinton County, Ohio).
In 2013, the CSA was redefined again. The Cincinnati–Middletown MSA was renamed the Cincinnati MSA. The Wilmington, OH μSA remained in the CSA. The Maysville, KY μSA, which had previously consisted of Mason andLewis Counties in Kentucky, was redefined as consisting solely of Mason County and added to the CSA. The name of the CSA accordingly changed to the Cincinnati–Wilmington–Maysville CSA.
In September 2018,Union County, Indiana, was added to the Cincinnati MSA.[8]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 1,244,738 | — | |
| 1960 | 1,544,659 | 24.1% | |
| 1970 | 1,690,234 | 9.4% | |
| 1980 | 1,753,801 | 3.8% | |
| 1990 | 1,844,917 | 5.2% | |
| 2000 | 2,009,632 | 8.9% | |
| 2010 | 2,130,151 | 6.0% | |
| 2020 | 2,256,884 | 5.9% | |
| data source:[9] | |||
In July 2023, the new metropolitan area delineation were published andUnion County, Indiana, was detached from the Cincinnati MSA, and theMaysville, Kentucky, micropolitan statistical area was detached from the combined statistical area.[10]
Most of the region's population growth has occurred in the northern counties, leading to speculation that the Cincinnati–Northern Kentucky metropolitan area will eventually merge withGreater Dayton.[11] Cincinnati is also located very close to other metropolitan areas, such asColumbus,Indianapolis,Lexington, andLouisville.
| Statistical Area/County1 | 2020 census | 2010 census | 2000 census | 1990 census | 1980 census | 1970 census | 1960 census | 1950 census |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati–Wilmington–Maysville, OH-KY-IN CSA | 2,316,022 | 2,172,191 | 2,050,175 | 1,880,332 | 1,788,404 | 1,721,698 | 1,574,663 | 1,270,310 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN MSA | 2,256,884[12] | 2,130,151 | 2,009,632 | 1,844,917 | 1,753,801 | 1,690,234 | 1,544,659 | 1,244,738 |
| Hamilton County, Ohio | 830,639 | 802,374 | 845,303 | 866,228 | 873,224 | 924,018 | 864,121 | 723,952 |
| Butler County, Ohio2 | 390,357 | 368,130 | 332,807 | 291,479 | 258,787 | 226,207 | 199,076 | 147,203 |
| Warren County, Ohio | 242,337 | 212,693 | 158,383 | 113,909 | 99,276 | 84,925 | 65,711 | 38,505 |
| Clermont County, Ohio | 208,601 | 197,363 | 177,977 | 150,187 | 128,483 | 95,725 | 80,530 | 42,182 |
| Brown County, Ohio | 43,676 | 44,846 | 42,285 | 34,966 | 31,920 | 26,635 | 25,178 | 22,221 |
| Clinton County, Ohio | 42,018 | |||||||
| Boone County, Kentucky | 135,968 | 118,811 | 85,991 | 57,589 | 45,842 | 32,812 | 21,940 | 13,015 |
| Kenton County, Kentucky | 169,064 | 159,720 | 151,464 | 142,031 | 137,058 | 129,440 | 120,700 | 104,254 |
| Campbell County, Kentucky | 93,076 | 90,336 | 88,616 | 83,866 | 83,317 | 88,501 | 86,803 | 76,196 |
| Grant County, Kentucky | 24,941 | 24,662 | 22,384 | 15,737 | 13,308 | 9,999 | 9,489 | 9,809 |
| Pendleton County, Kentucky | 14,644 | 14,877 | 14,390 | 12,036 | 10,989 | 9,949 | 9,968 | 9,610 |
| Bracken County, Kentucky | 8,400 | 8,488 | 8,279 | 7,766 | 7,738 | 7,227 | 7,422 | 8,424 |
| Gallatin County, Kentucky | 8,690 | 8,589 | 7,870 | 5,393 | 4,842 | 4,134 | 3,867 | 3,969 |
| Mason County, Kentucky | 17,120 | |||||||
| Dearborn County, Indiana | 50,679 | 50,047 | 46,109 | 38,835 | 34,291 | 29,430 | 28,674 | 25,141 |
| Franklin County, Indiana | 22,785 | 23,087 | 22,151 | 19,580 | 19,612 | 16,943 | 17,015 | 16,034 |
| Ohio County, Indiana | 5,940 | 6,128 | 5,623 | 5,315 | 5,114 | 4,289 | 4,165 | 4,223 |
| Union County, Indiana | 7,087 |
Notes
1For comparison purposes, population data is summarized using 2008 census CSA/MSA county definitions.
2Butler County, Ohio was previously known as the Hamilton–Middletown, OH PMSA and was separate from the Cincinnati, OH–KY–IN PMSA until the 1990 census, when the Cincinnati–Hamilton, OH–KY–IN CMSA designation was used to consolidate the two PMSAs. The CMSA/PMSA designation is no longer used by the US census.
Population figures as of the 2020 census.
The Cincinnati–Northern Kentucky metropolitan area is located within a climatic transition zone. The southern area of the region, from roughly about the Ohio River, is at the extreme northern limit of thehumid subtropical climate; the north part of the region is on the extreme southern cusp of thehumid continental climate. Evidence of both humid subtropical climate and humid continental climate can be found here, particularly noticeable by the presence of plants indicative of each climatic region. Within the area, theUSDA climate zone rating can vary from as warm as zone 6b[13] to as cool as zone 5b,[14] with the warmest areas tending to be found closest to theOhio River; individualmicroclimates of even cooler and warmer temperature may occur in the area but are too small to be considered in the overall climate zone rating. Thecommon wall lizard, introduced from Italy in the 1950s, is an example of fauna in the area that lends a subtropical ambiance to the urban core (near downtown Cincinnati) area of the region.
Significant moderating variables for the overall climate are:
Traveling through the region from North to South, a subtle but interesting change in climate can be observed and is most evidenced by the gradual increase in the occurrence of subtropical indicator plants in the landscape. Most noticeable are the Southern Magnolia andMimosa trees, and theneedle palm also may be found as a winter hardy landscape specimen in lawns near the Ohio River. During the winter, travellers from north to south will routinely observe a significant difference in snowfall/ice/rain in the region.
Although widely accepted as part of the very southern fringe of theMidwestern United States in most cases, the Cincinnati–Northern Kentucky metropolitan area is climatically and geographically located on the northern periphery of theUpland South region of the United States and is within theBluegrass region of Ohio and Kentucky in the Upper South.
The area is vulnerable to occasionalsevere weather—thunderstorms, large hail and sometimes tornadoes.
| Climate data for Cincinnati (Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Int'l), 1991–2020 normals,[a] extremes 1871–present[b] | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 77 (25) | 79 (26) | 88 (31) | 90 (32) | 95 (35) | 102 (39) | 108 (42) | 103 (39) | 102 (39) | 95 (35) | 82 (28) | 75 (24) | 108 (42) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 61.8 (16.6) | 66.1 (18.9) | 74.3 (23.5) | 81.1 (27.3) | 86.7 (30.4) | 91.6 (33.1) | 93.6 (34.2) | 93.2 (34.0) | 90.7 (32.6) | 82.9 (28.3) | 72.0 (22.2) | 63.8 (17.7) | 95.3 (35.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 39.6 (4.2) | 43.7 (6.5) | 53.5 (11.9) | 65.5 (18.6) | 74.5 (23.6) | 82.6 (28.1) | 86.0 (30.0) | 85.2 (29.6) | 78.9 (26.1) | 66.7 (19.3) | 53.8 (12.1) | 43.3 (6.3) | 64.4 (18.0) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 31.4 (−0.3) | 34.7 (1.5) | 43.6 (6.4) | 54.6 (12.6) | 64.1 (17.8) | 72.3 (22.4) | 75.9 (24.4) | 74.9 (23.8) | 68.1 (20.1) | 56.2 (13.4) | 44.4 (6.9) | 35.6 (2.0) | 54.7 (12.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 23.1 (−4.9) | 25.8 (−3.4) | 33.8 (1.0) | 43.7 (6.5) | 53.7 (12.1) | 62.1 (16.7) | 65.9 (18.8) | 64.6 (18.1) | 57.3 (14.1) | 45.7 (7.6) | 35.1 (1.7) | 27.9 (−2.3) | 44.9 (7.2) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 0.1 (−17.7) | 6.5 (−14.2) | 14.8 (−9.6) | 26.7 (−2.9) | 36.6 (2.6) | 49.2 (9.6) | 55.9 (13.3) | 54.6 (12.6) | 42.5 (5.8) | 29.8 (−1.2) | 19.0 (−7.2) | 9.1 (−12.7) | −2.7 (−19.3) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −25 (−32) | −17 (−27) | −11 (−24) | 15 (−9) | 27 (−3) | 39 (4) | 47 (8) | 43 (6) | 31 (−1) | 16 (−9) | 0 (−18) | −20 (−29) | −25 (−32) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 3.30 (84) | 3.17 (81) | 4.16 (106) | 4.53 (115) | 4.67 (119) | 4.75 (121) | 3.83 (97) | 3.43 (87) | 3.11 (79) | 3.35 (85) | 3.23 (82) | 3.73 (95) | 45.26 (1,150) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 7.7 (20) | 6.7 (17) | 3.4 (8.6) | 0.4 (1.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.2 (0.51) | 0.8 (2.0) | 4.1 (10) | 23.3 (59) |
| Average extreme snow depth inches (cm) | 3.5 (8.9) | 3.4 (8.6) | 2.0 (5.1) | 0.2 (0.51) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.1 (0.25) | 0.4 (1.0) | 2.0 (5.1) | 6.0 (15) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 13.2 | 12.0 | 12.5 | 13.1 | 13.5 | 11.8 | 11.0 | 8.9 | 8.3 | 8.7 | 10.3 | 12.4 | 135.7 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 6.7 | 5.9 | 2.7 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.1 | 4.6 | 21.7 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 72.2 | 70.1 | 67.0 | 62.8 | 66.9 | 69.2 | 71.5 | 72.3 | 72.7 | 69.2 | 71.0 | 73.8 | 69.9 |
| Averagedew point °F (°C) | 19.9 (−6.7) | 22.5 (−5.3) | 31.3 (−0.4) | 39.6 (4.2) | 50.5 (10.3) | 59.7 (15.4) | 64.2 (17.9) | 63.0 (17.2) | 56.7 (13.7) | 43.7 (6.5) | 34.7 (1.5) | 25.5 (−3.6) | 42.6 (5.9) |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 120.8 | 128.4 | 170.1 | 211.0 | 249.9 | 275.5 | 277.0 | 261.5 | 234.4 | 188.8 | 118.7 | 99.3 | 2,335.4 |
| Percentagepossible sunshine | 40 | 43 | 46 | 53 | 56 | 62 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 55 | 39 | 34 | 52 |
| Averageultraviolet index | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Source 1:NOAA (relative humidity and sun 1961–1990)[15][16][17][18] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Weather Atlas (UV)[19] | |||||||||||||
TheConnector streetcar line opened in Cincinnati in 2016.[20][21]Amtrak'sCardinal makes three weekly trips in each direction between Chicago and New York City throughCincinnati Union Terminal. Regional transit authorities serving the area include theSouthwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA), theTransit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK) and theClermont Transportation Connection. SORTA and TANK primarily operate 40-foot (12 m) diesel buses, though some lines are served by longer articulated or hybrid-engine buses.
The Cincinnati area is served byCincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) inHebron, Kentucky. The airport is one ofDHL Aviation's three superhubs, offeringnon-stop passenger service to over 50 destinations in North America and Europe.[22] The airport is a global hub forAmazon Air,Atlas Air,ABX Air,Kalitta Air, andDHL Aviation, handling numerous domestic and international cargo flights every day.[23] CVG is currently the6th busiest airport in the United States by cargo traffic, and is additionally the fastest-growing cargo airport in North America.[24][25]
US Highways
U.S. Route 22 &State Route 3 (Montgomery Road)
U.S. Route 27 (Colerain Avenue)
U.S. Route 42 (Reading Road, Lebanon Road)
U.S. Route 50 (Columbia Parkway, Ohio Pike)
U.S. Route 52 (Riverside Drive, Kellogg Avenue)
U.S. Route 127 (Hamilton Avenue)Ohio State Highways
Ohio State Route 4 (Springfield Pike,Dixie Highway)
Ohio State Route 28
Ohio State Route 32
Ohio State Route 126 (Ronald Reagan Cross County Highway)
Ohio State Route 129 (Butler County Veterans Highway)
Ohio State Route 131
Ohio State Route 562 (Norwood Lateral)
Ohio State Route 747 (Princeton Pike)Kentucky State Highways
Kentucky Route 9 (AA Highway)
Kentucky Route 17 (Madison Pike)
Kentucky Route 18 (Burlington Pike)
Kentucky Route 177 (Decoursey Pike) | This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(January 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Cincinnati-based broadcast media outlets often use the terms "Greater Cincinnati" and "Tri-State Area" to refer to their broader viewing or listening areas, especially for the purpose of weather reports or school closings. The viewing areas ofWLWT,WCPO-TV, andWKRC-TV all span the same 26 counties, includingAdams andHighland counties in Ohio;Fayette,Ripley,Switzerland, andUnion counties in Indiana; andCarroll,Owen, andRobertson counties in Kentucky.[26][27][28]WXIX-TV additionally includesDecatur County in Indiana andLewis County in Kentucky.[29]
Dayton-area media outlets similarly refer to aMiami Valley area that includesButler andWarren counties in Ohio and sometimesClinton County, Ohio, andUnion County, Indiana.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)Columbus (capital) | |
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Includes all metropolitan areas that have a population of 150,000 or greater according to the most recent national census. | ||
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39°0′N84°30′W / 39.000°N 84.500°W /39.000; -84.500
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