Middletown, Ohio | |
|---|---|
 Downtown Middletown | |
 Flag  Seal  Logo | |
| Motto(s): "Bright past, even brighter future" | |
 Location of Middletown in Butler County and the state of Ohio | |
  Middletown  Middletown | |
| Coordinates:39°30′12″N84°21′57″W / 39.50333°N 84.36583°W /39.50333; -84.36583 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Ohio |
| Counties | Butler,Warren |
| Incorporated | February 11, 1833 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Elizabeth Slamka[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 26.46 sq mi (68.54 km2) |
| • Land | 26.14 sq mi (67.70 km2) |
| • Water | 0.32 sq mi (0.84 km2) |
| Elevation | 742 ft (226 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 50,987 |
| • Density | 1,950.61/sq mi (753.13/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 45042-45044 |
| Area code | 513 |
| FIPS code | 39-49840[4] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1085814[3] |
| Website | cityofmiddletown |
Middletown is a city inButler andWarren counties in theU.S. state ofOhio. The population was 50,987 at the2020 census. It is part of theCincinnati metropolitan area in southwest Ohio, 29 miles (47 km) northeast ofCincinnati and 20 miles (32 km) southwest ofDayton.[5]
Incorporated in 1833 and designated a city in 1886, Middletown was formed from parts ofLemon,Turtlecreek, andFranklin townships. It was home toAK Steel Holding Corporation, formerly known as Armco and founded in 1900, whose steel factory in Middletown still operates as part ofCleveland-Cliffs.[6] The city also featuresHook Field Municipal Airport, now serving only general aviation, and a regional campus ofMiami University. In 1957, Middletown was named anAll-America City.[7]
Middletown is mostly part of the 1788Symmes Purchase of 311,682 acres (487.003 sq mi; 1,261.33 km2)[8] purchased by JudgeJohn Cleves Symmes ofNew Jersey in 1788 from theContinental Congress as part of theLand Ordinance of 1785.[9]
Stephen Vail Jr. purchased land on the eastern bank of theGreat Miami River from Symmes and platted 52 lots for the village in 1802. The purchase was complicated when it was discovered that Symmes did not own all the land thought to have been sold to Vail, and eventually, after Vail's death, theOhio Supreme Court permitted the transactions to go through.[9]
In 1825, construction of theMiami and Erie Canal occurred, linking Middletown toToledo, Ohio onLake Erie andCincinnati, Ohio on theOhio River. A 20 miles (32 km) branch called theWarren County Canal operated toLebanon, Ohio from 1830 to 1852 when flooding on Shaker Run destroyed the branch. TheGreat Flood of 1913 destroyed most of the Miami and Erie in the area. The canal was paved over and became the Verity Parkway[10] In 1982, Middletown opened the Canal Museum to commemorate the events.[11]
Middletown was served by theBaltimore and Ohio Railroad,Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway,Erie Railroad andPennsylvania Railroad.[12]
Middletown was principally known for its agriculture and paper mills but became most famous as a steel town when George Verity, founder ofAmerican Rolling Mill Company (ARMCO) opened asheet steel rolling process plant in 1900.[12]
The city's name is believed to have been given by its founder, Stephen Vail, but questions remain unanswered as to why. One local historian stated that the city received its name because Vail had come fromMiddletown, New Jersey. Another writer believed that the city was named Middletown because it was the midway point of navigation on theGreat Miami River, which was then considered a navigable stream. Another theory is credited to the city being roughly halfway between Dayton and Cincinnati.[13][14] Vail centered the city in Fractional Section 28 of Town 2, Range 4 North. One of the first settlers in Middletown was Daniel Doty, who migrated there from New Jersey in the late 18th century.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 26.43 square miles (68.45 km2), of which 26.19 square miles (67.83 km2) is land and 0.24 square miles (0.62 km2) is water.[15]
Middletown adjoins theGreat Miami River. Middletown also borders the cities of Franklin, Monroe, Trenton, and Liberty and Madison Townships.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 314 | — | |
| 1840 | 809 | — | |
| 1850 | 1,087 | 34.4% | |
| 1860 | 2,070 | 90.4% | |
| 1870 | 3,046 | 47.1% | |
| 1880 | 4,538 | 49.0% | |
| 1890 | 7,681 | 69.3% | |
| 1900 | 9,215 | 20.0% | |
| 1910 | 13,152 | 42.7% | |
| 1920 | 23,584 | 79.3% | |
| 1930 | 29,992 | 27.2% | |
| 1940 | 31,220 | 4.1% | |
| 1950 | 33,695 | 7.9% | |
| 1960 | 42,115 | 25.0% | |
| 1970 | 48,767 | 15.8% | |
| 1980 | 43,719 | −10.4% | |
| 1990 | 46,758 | 7.0% | |
| 2000 | 51,605 | 10.4% | |
| 2010 | 48,694 | −5.6% | |
| 2020 | 50,987 | 4.7% | |
| Sources:[4][16][17][18] | |||
As of thecensus[19] of 2020, there were 50,987 people in 20,057 households in the city. Thepopulation density was 1,951.0 inhabitants per square mile (753.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.3%White, 11.2%African American, 0.0%Native American, 0.7%Asian, 0.1%Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander and 5.3% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 4.1% of the population.
There were 20,057 households with an average 2.39 people living in each, 81% of whom had lived in the same house for at least 1 year. 85% of residents were high school graduates, and 15.6% had received bachelor's degrees or higher. 6.2% of residents were under the age of 6, 22.5% of residents were under the age of 18, and 17.2% were over the age of 65. The gender makeup of the city was 52.3% female and 47.7% male. The percentage of persons under 65 with a disability was 16.8%.
The median household income was $42,290, and the annual per capita income average was $24,184. Approximately 22.5% of persons were below the poverty line. The average travel time to work was 23.1 minutes. 59.2% of residents worked in the civilian labor force, 54.5% of whom were female.
As of thecensus[19] of 2010, there were 48,694 people, 20,238 households, and 12,505 families living in the city. Thepopulation density was 1,859.3 inhabitants per square mile (717.9/km2). There were 23,296 housing units at an average density of 889.5 per square mile (343.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 83.3%White, 11.7%African American, 0.2%Native American, 0.5%Asian, 1.6% fromother races, and 2.7% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 3.8% of the population.
There were 20,238 households, of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.9% were married couples living together, 18.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.2% were non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.97.
The median age in the city was 38.3 years. 24.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.7% were from 25 to 44; 27.1% were from 45 to 64; and 14.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.5% male and 52.5% female.
As of thecensus[4] of 2000, there were 51,605 people, 21,469 households, and 13,933 families living in the city. The population density was 2,011.4 inhabitants per square mile (776.6/km2). There were 23,144 housing units at an average density of 902.1 per square mile (348.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 86.98%White, 10.59%African American, 0.25%Native American, 0.37%Asian, 0.03%Pacific Islander, 0.36% fromother races, and 1.42% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 0.89% of the population.
There were 21,469 households, out of which 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.9% were married couples living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.0% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,215, and the median income for a family was $43,867. Males had a median income of $35,705 versus $23,865 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $19,773. About 9.2% of families and 12.6% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 18.4% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.
Sites in Middletown included on theNational Register of Historic Places include theSouth Main Street District and theJohn B. Tytus House.
In Butler County, all sections of Middletown are in theMiddletown City School District.[20] The Middletown City district operatesMiddletown High School. The Warren County portion is divided among several school districts, with one of them being the Middletown City District, and the others beingFranklin City School District andLebanon City School District.[21]
Miami University, based inOxford, Ohio, has a regional campus in Middletown.Miami University Middletown opened in 1966 as the firstsatellite campus in Ohio.[22] It has an annual enrollment of approximately 1,500 students.[23]
Ohio State Route 4 runs north–south through Middletown.Ohio State Route 73 andOhio State Route 122 run east–west through the city. Ohio State Route 122 accessesInterstate 75 running to the east of Middletown.
Middletown had multiple railroad stations serving the different railroads running through the city,Baltimore and Ohio,Erie Railroad,New York Central (earlier, theCleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway) andPennsylvania Railroad.[24] The last passenger trains were the Baltimore and Ohio'sCincinnatian andPenn Central's Cincinnati-Columbus train, both ending in 1971.[25]
Transit service was formerly provided by the privately owned Ortman-Stewart Transportation Company, which ceased operations at the end of 1972.[26] Today, theButler County Regional Transit Authority provides bus service in the city with connections toHamilton,Oxford, as well asSpringdale, where riders can transfer to theSouthwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority serving greaterCincinnati.[26]
Vice PresidentJD Vance describes his life in Middletown inHillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis (2016). His family had moved there fromJackson, Kentucky, and became caught in the problems of industrial restructuring and loss of jobs.
In his bestselling 2016 memoir, Republican vice presidential hopeful JD Vance questioned whether rural, white Americans, like those in his native Middletown, Ohio, had the drive to reverse their economic decline.
Municipalities and communities ofButler County, Ohio,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
Municipalities and communities ofWarren County, Ohio,United States | ||
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| Townships | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated communities |
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| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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| National | |
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