Ada, Ohio | |
|---|---|
 Corner of Main Street and Buckeye Avenue | |
| Nickname: “A Classic Ohio Village” | |
 Location of Ada, Ohio | |
 Location of Ada in Hardin County | |
| Coordinates:40°46′05″N83°49′31″W / 40.76806°N 83.82528°W /40.76806; -83.82528 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Ohio |
| County | Hardin |
| Township | Liberty |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Dave Retterer[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 2.14 sq mi (5.53 km2) |
| • Land | 2.14 sq mi (5.53 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 958 ft (292 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 5,334 |
• Estimate (2023) | 5,302 |
| • Density | 2,500/sq mi (965.3/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 45810 |
| Area code | 419 |
| FIPS code | 39-00198[5] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2397907[3] |
| Website | adaoh.gov |
Ada (/ˈeɪdə/AY-də[6]) is a village inHardin County, Ohio, United States, located about 69 miles (111 km) southwest ofToledo. As of the2020 census, its population was 5,334. It is the home ofOhio Northern University.
Following the 1817Treaty of Fort Meigs, theShawnee Indians held reservation land at Hog Creek near Ada. Ada itself was originally called Johnstown,platted in 1853 by S. M. Johnson when the railroad was extended to that point.[7] When a post office was established it was called Ada Post Office, named after the postmaster's daughter, Ada.[8][9] The post office has been in operation since 1854.[10]
The growth of the village is due in large part to the founding of the Ohio Normal School, now known asOhio Northern University. The University was founded in 1871 byHenry Solomon Lehr, just eighteen years after Ada was first settled. Today, Ada is the second largest incorporated community in Hardin County.
In 1910, PresidentWilliam Howard Taft visited Ada,[11] to give the fall commencement speech at Ohio Northern University. To date, Taft is the only president to visit the village. Ada welcomedMartin Luther King Jr. to the village in January 1968,[12] just three months before his assassination.
Ada has been noted for having one of theshortest place names in Ohio.[13] The NationalArbor Day Foundation has qualified Ada as aTree City USA since 1981.
According to the 2010 census, the village has a total area of 2.08 square miles (5.4 km2), all land.[14] The area surrounding the village is mostly farmland and small plots of forest. Hog Creek is the only waterway of note and snakes around the village to the north and the east.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 1,760 | — | |
| 1890 | 2,079 | 18.1% | |
| 1900 | 2,576 | 23.9% | |
| 1910 | 2,465 | −4.3% | |
| 1920 | 2,321 | −5.8% | |
| 1930 | 2,499 | 7.7% | |
| 1940 | 2,368 | −5.2% | |
| 1950 | 3,640 | 53.7% | |
| 1960 | 3,918 | 7.6% | |
| 1970 | 5,309 | 35.5% | |
| 1980 | 5,669 | 6.8% | |
| 1990 | 5,413 | −4.5% | |
| 2000 | 5,582 | 3.1% | |
| 2010 | 5,952 | 6.6% | |
| 2020 | 5,334 | −10.4% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 5,302 | [4] | −0.6% |
| Sources:[5][15][16][17][18][19][20] | |||
As of thecensus[21] of 2010, there were 5,952 people, 1,729 households, and 846 families living in the village. Thepopulation density was 2,861.5 inhabitants per square mile (1,104.8/km2). There were 1,910 housing units at an average density of 918.3 per square mile (354.6/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 93.5%White, 1.9%African American, 0.1%Native American, 1.9%Asian, 0.7% fromother races, and 1.9% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 1.6% of the population.
There were 1,729 households, of which 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.7% weremarried couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no spouse present, 3.1% had a male householder with no spouse present, and 51.1% were non-families. 38.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 3.01.
The median age in the village was 22.2 years. 13.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 49.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 17.2% were from 25 to 44; 13.5% were from 45 to 64; and 6.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 50.8% male and 49.2% female.
As of thecensus[5] of 2000, there were 5,582 people, 1,783 households, and 850 families living in the village. The population density was 2,982.7 inhabitants per square mile (1,151.6/km2). There were 1,948 housing units at an average density of 1,040.9 per square mile (401.9/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 95.50%White, 1.58%African American, 0.13%Native American, 1.25%Asian, 0.30% fromother races, and 1.24% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 0.59% of the population.
There were 1,783 households, out of which 22.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.6% weremarried couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no spouse present, and 52.3% were non-families. 36.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the village, the population was spread out, with 13.9% under the age of 18, 48.6% from 18 to 24, 18.0% from 25 to 44, 12.5% from 45 to 64, and 7.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.4 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $24,665, and the median income for a family was $39,300. Males had a median income of $32,143 versus $23,750 for females. Theper capita income for the village was $12,561. About 11.7% of families and 21.9% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 10.9% of those under age 18 and 19.4% of those age 65 or over.
TheWilson Sporting Goods NFL football manufacturing facility is located in Ada, and is the only leather football manufacturing facility in the United States.[22]
The village has a mayor, David A. Retterer, who has held the office since 2003.[23] Retterer moved to the village in 1979 to become a mathematics professor at the localOhio Northern University, before running for mayor for the first time in 2003.[24] Retterer won a 6th term as mayor in 2023, defeating challenger Howard Fenton.
| 2023Ada Mayoral Election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Republican | David A. Retterer | 659 | 61.59% | |
| Democratic | Howard N. Fenton | 377 | 35.26% | |
| Majority | 1,036 | 100% | ||
The village also elects a Village Council, made up of six representative elected on a rotating basis.[25] There are no term limits to municipal offices in Ada. The Village Council is elected at large and by popular vote. The members are as follows:
| Councilor | Party | Year of Term End |
|---|---|---|
| Jeff Oestreich | Republican | 2027 |
| Linda Mason | Republican | 2027 |
| Sean Beck | Democratic | 2025 |
| Bob Simmons | Republican | 2025 |
| Jason Campbell | Republican | 2025 |
| Sheila Coressel | Democratic | 2027 |
Ada is the home ofOhio Northern University, a private university comprising five colleges.[26]
Ada Exempted Village Public School houses grades K-12 and most of the administration.[27] The district spends $7,701 per student annually ($925 lower than the state average).[28]Ada High School's sports teams participate in theBlanchard Valley Conference, officially moving in 2023 after spending over fifty years in theNorthwest Conference.
Three media outlets operate in Ada. TheAda Herald is a weekly newspaper, AdaIcon.com is a news website, andWOHA, a non-commercial, religious radio station owned by Holy Family Communications.[29][30][31]
Ada Airport (FAALID:0D7) is a privately owned, public-useairport located 1 nautical mile (1.9 km; 1.2 mi) northwest of thecentral business district of Ada.Ada station formerly operated along thePennsylvania Railroad and is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[32]
Municipalities and communities ofHardin County, Ohio,United States | ||
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| City |  | |
| Villages | ||
| Townships | ||
| CDP | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
