- This article is about the city in Ohio. For Toledo, Spain, see that article. For other uses, see Toledo
(disambiguation).
Toledo is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Lucas County6.
The municipality is located in northwestern Ohio on the western end of Lake Erie and south of
the Michigan border. It is the principal city in the Toledo Metropolitan Statistical Area. In the 2000
census, the city proper had a population of 313,619. As of July 1, 2006, however, the U.S. Census Bureau listed the city with a
reduced population of 298,446, allowing Toledo to maintain its place as the fourth-largest city in the state. According to the US
Census, the metropolitan area had a population of 653,695, while the Combined
Statistical Area had a population of 715,320.[3]
Residents of Toledo are usually referred to as Toledoans. Toledo is known as the Glass City because of its long history of innovation in all aspects of the
glass industry: windows, bottles,
windshields, construction materials, and
glass art, of which the Toledo Museum of Art has
a large collection. Several large glass companies have their origins here. Owens-Illinois, Owens Corning, Libbey Glass, Pilkington North America (formerly Libbey Owens Ford), and
Therma-Tru have long been a staple of Toledo's economy. Other off-shoots and spinoffs of these companies also continue to play
important roles in Toledo's economy. Fiberglass giant Johns Manville's two plants in the
metro area were originally built by a subsidiary of Libbey Owens Ford. Many other
companies that service the glass industry also began in Toledo, such as Toledo Engineering and Glasstech.
Toledo had also been known as "The Auto Parts Capital of the World". Several large, Fortune 500 automotive related companies
had their headquarters in Toledo. Electric AutoLite, Sheller-Globe
Corporation, Champion Spark Plug, Questor, and Dana Corporation are examples of large
auto parts companies that began in Toledo. Only Dana Corporation is still in existence as an
independent entity. The Jeep vehicle has been manufactured in Toledo since 1941 as well.
Willys-Overland was a major automaker headquartered in Toledo until 1953. Toledo is also known
for being the subject of the song by Danny Michel that shares the city's name.
History
The area was first settled by European Americans in 1794, after the Battle of
Fallen Timbers, with the founding of Fort Industry. However, with the War of 1812, many settlers fled the area. Resettling
around 1817 a Cincinnati syndicate purchased a acre ( km²) tract at the mouth of Swan Creek and named it Port
Lawrence. The syndicate failed 3 years later, and the settlement joined with a river settlement to the north called Vistula. The
inhabitants of this joined settlement chose the name Toledo, "but the reason for this choice is buried in a welter of legends.
One recounts that Washington Irving, who was traveling in Spain at the time, suggested the name to his brother, a local resident; this explanation ignores the fact that
Irving returned to the United States in 1832. Others award the honor to Two Stickney, son of the major who quaintly numbered his
sons and named his daughters after States. The most popular version attributes the naming to Willard J. Daniels, a merchant, who
reputedly suggested Toledo because it 'is easy to pronounce, is pleasant in sound, and there is no other city of that name on the
American continent'."
From the Federal Writers' Project - The Ohio Guide - 1940
On January 15, 1936, the first building to be completely
covered in glass was constructed in Toledo. It was a building for the Owens-Illinois Glass Company and marked a milestone in architectural
design representative of the International style of
architecture, which was at that time becoming increasingly popular in the US.
Toledo War
-
An almost bloodless conflict between Ohio and the Michigan Territory, called the
Toledo War (1835-1836), was "fought" over a narrow strip of land from the Indiana border to Lake Erie, now containing the city and the suburbs of
Sylvania and Oregon. The strip—which varied between
five and eight miles (13 km) in width—was claimed by the state of Ohio and the Michigan Territory due to old conflicting
legislation about where the Ohio-Michigan state line should be. Militias from both states were sent but never engaged. The only
casualty of the conflict was a Michigan deputy sheriff—stabbed in the leg by Two Stickney during
the arrest of his elder brother, One Stickney—and the loss of two horses, two pigs and a handful of chickens stolen from an Ohio
farm by lost members of the Michigan militia. [1]
In the end, the state of Ohio was awarded the land after the state of Michigan was given the Upper Peninsula in exchange.
Geography
Toledo is located at 41°39′56″N, 83°34′31″W (41.665682,
-83.575337).1 The city sits astride the
Maumee River at the southern end of Maumee Bay, which
is the westernmost inlet of Lake Erie. Toledo is north of what
was formerly the Great Black Swamp, giving rise to another nickname, Frog Town.
An important ecological site, a sandy oak savanna called the Oak Openings region, lies just west.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area
of 217.8 km² (84.1 mi²). 208.8 km² (80.6 mi²) of
it is land and 8.9 km² (3.5 mi²) of it (4.10%) is water.
Climate
-
Toledo, like many other cities in the Great Lakes region, experiences a continental climate, characterized by four distinct seasons, with
significant variations in temperature and precipitation between them. The city's location just off the western end of
Lake Erie moderates its climate somewhat, so that it is less extreme than if the city were
further from the lake. The city also shares many climatic characteristics with the Ohio
Valley, such as slightly warmer winters and increased precipitation that is more evenly spread throughout the
year.[citation needed]
The warmest month of the year is July, when high temperatures average 87 °F (30 °C), and overnight low temperatures average 68
°F (20 °C). January is the coldest month, when high temperatures average 33 °F (1 °C), and low temperatures average 22 °F (-5
°C). The wettest month of the year is June, when 3.84 inches (97.5 mm) of precipitation falls. The driest month is January, when
2.00 inches (50.8 mm) of precipitation falls. The warmest temperature ever recorded in Toledo was 105 °F (41 °C) on
July 14, 1936. The coldest temperature ever recorded was -20 °F
(-29 °C), on January 21, 1984. (Source:http://www.erh.noaa.gov/cle/climate/tol/normals/tolnrtjan.html)
| Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures |
| Month |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
| Rec High °F |
65 |
71 |
81 |
88 |
95 |
104 |
105 |
99 |
98 |
91 |
80 |
70 |
| Norm High °F |
31.4 |
35.1 |
46.5 |
58.9 |
70.7 |
79.5 |
83.4 |
81 |
74 |
62.1 |
48.3 |
36 |
| Norm Low °F |
16.4 |
18.9 |
27.9 |
37.7 |
48.6 |
58.2 |
62.6 |
60.7 |
52.9 |
41.6 |
32.6 |
22.3 |
| Rec Low °F |
-20 |
-14 |
-6 |
8 |
25 |
32 |
40 |
34 |
26 |
15 |
2 |
-19 |
| Precip (in) |
1.93 |
1.88 |
2.62 |
3.24 |
3.14 |
3.8 |
2.8 |
3.19 |
2.84 |
2.35 |
2.78 |
2.64 |
| Source:The Weather Channel. [2]" |
| Source: USTravelWeather.com [3] |
Demographics
City of Toledo
Population by year [4] |
| Year |
Population |
U.S. Pop.
Ranking |
| 1860 |
13,768 |
68th |
| 1870 |
31,584 |
40th |
| 1880 |
50,137 |
35th |
| 1890 |
81,434 |
34th |
| 1900 |
131,822 |
26th |
| 1910 |
168,497 |
30th |
| 1920 |
243,164 |
26th |
| 1930 |
290,718 |
27th |
| 1940 |
282,349 |
34th |
| 1950 |
303,616 |
36th |
| 1960 |
318,003 |
39th |
| 1970 |
383,818 |
34th |
| 1980 |
354,635 |
40th |
| 1990 |
332,943 |
49th |
| 2000 |
313,619 |
57th |
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 313,619 people, 128,925 households, and 77,355 families
residing in the city. The population density was 1,502.0/km² (3,890.2/mi²). There
were 139,871 housing units at an average density of 669.9/km² (1,734.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 70.23%
White, 23.55% African American, 0.31% Native American, 1.03% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.28% from other races, and 2.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.47% of the population.
In 2000 there were 128,925 households in Toledo, out of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.2%
were married couples living together, 17.2% had a female householder with no husband present,
and 40.0% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.0% 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 3.04.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.2% under the age of 18, 11.0% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from
45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 91.9 males.
For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males. There was a total of 139,871 housing units in the city, of which
10,946 (7.8%) were vacant.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,546, and the median income for a family was $41,175. Males had a median
income of $35,407 versus $25,023 for females. The per capita income for the city was
$17,388. About 14.2% of families and 17.9% of the population were below the poverty
line, including 25.9% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.
Neighborhoods
Toledo consists of the following neighborhoods:
- Birmingham
- DeVeaux
- Five Points
- Downtown
- East Toledo
- Franklin Park
- Lagrange
- North Toledo (North End)
|
- North Towne
- Old Orchard
- Old West End
- Ottawa
- Point Place
- Polish Village
- Reynolds Corners
|
- Scott Park
- South Toledo
- Southwyck
- Trilby
- University Hills
- Warehouse District
- Westgate
|
Suburbs
According to the US Census Bureau, the Toledo Metropolitan Area covers 4 Ohio counties and combines with other micropolitan areas and
counties for a combined statistical area. Some of the suburbs include:
Ohio
Michigan
Economy
Historically, Toledo is best known for industrial manufacturing, although these industries have declined considerably in past
decades. The Big Three automobile manufacturers all have factories in
metropolitan Toledo. The city is home to two Fortune 500 companies: Dana Corporation and Owens Corning. Another Fortune 500 company,
formerly located at One SeaGate, is Owens-Illinois.
O-I has recently relocated to suburban Perrysburg. HCR
Manor Care is an up and coming Fortune 1000 company headquartered in Toledo. Though
the largest employer in Toledo was Jeep for much of the 20th century, this honor has recently gone
to the University of Toledo. Manufacturing as a whole now employs fewer Toledoans
than does the healthcare industry, now the city's biggest employer. In 2001, a taxpayer lawsuit was filed against Toledo that
challenged the constitutionality of tax incentives it extended to DaimlerChrysler for the
expansion of its Jeep plant. The case was won by the city on a technical issue after it reached the U.S. Supreme Court in DaimlerChrysler Corp. v. Cuno, 547 U.S. ___ (2006).
Toledo is home to several other large companies. Faurecia Exhaust Systems, which is a $2 Billion subsidiary to France's
Faurecia SA, and Pilkington North America, which is a $900 Million subsidiary to Britain's Pilkington Ltd., are located in
Toledo.
Toledo is the primary market city for northwest Ohio, a region of nine counties with a population in excess of 1 million. As
such there is a high concentration of retail establishments and medical facilities in Toledo. The city's location near the
intersection of I-80/I-90 and I-75 (i.e. "The Crossroads of America") has made it a popular hub location for transportation companies
such as UPS and BAX Global. Toledo is also the
nation's third busiest rail hub, 15th-busiest air cargo hub, and one of the busiest ports on the Great Lakes.
To promote economic development, the City of Toledo has announced that it will cover the square miles ( km²) of the
city of Toledo with Wi-Fi internet access for government, business, and personal use. This will create the nation's sixth largest
Wi-Fi network, and will be funded with private dollars.[4]
Education
Colleges and universities
These higher education institutions operate campuses in Metro Toledo:
Primary and secondary schools
Public schools
Toledo Public Schools operates public schools within much
of the city limits, along with the Washington Local School District in
northern Toledo.
Private schools
Additionally, several private and parochial primary and secondary schools are present within the Toledo area. The
Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo operates Roman Catholic primary and
secondary schools.
Private high schools in Toledo include Maumee Valley Country Day
School, Central Catholic High School,
St. Francis de Sales High School, St. John's Jesuit High School, Notre Dame
Academy, St. Ursula Academy (Ottawa Hills), Cardinal Stritch High School (Oregon), the Toledo Islamic Academy, Toledo Christian
Schools, Emmanuel Baptist,and the Apostolic Christian Academy.
Media
-
The following are media outlets located in the city of Toledo. Also serving the city are a number of other radio and
television stations, and newspapers located outside the city limits, including many such media outlets in the Detroit, Michigan, area. Some of these newspapers and broadcasting stations are listed below, with the
city of publication or license noted when occurring outside of Toledo.
Newspapers
The Blade, a daily newspaper, is the primary newspaper in Toledo and was
founded in 1835. It considers itself to be one of the best local newspapers in the United States. Page one of each issue asserts
"One of America's Great Newspapers." The city's arts and entertainment weekly is the Toledo City
Paper. In March 2005, the weekly newspaper Toledo Free Press began
publication, and it has a focus on news and sports. Other weeklies include the "West Toledo Herald," "El Tiempo", La
Prensa, Sojourner's Truth, and the Toledo Journal, as well as type A magazine, a quarterly publication
focused on Toledo's anarchist community. Toledo Tales provides satire and parody of life in the Glass City.
Magazines
The Old West End Magazine is published monthly and highlites "The Best in Urban Historic Living". Monthly issues are also
published on the Old West End Association web site. http://www.toledooldwestend.com/main.aspx
The Toledo Journal is an African-American owned newspaper. It is published weekly, and normally focuses on African-American
issues.
Television stations
- 05 WT05 - CW (cable only/non-broadcast in
NW Ohio on various cable systems, usually cable channel 5)
- 11 WTOL - CBS
Four SeaGate, home of Fox Toledo
'** Low Power stations (containing "LP" or numbers in their calls) had to move, due to digital station conversions on a
specific station number, or the channel they are broadcasting on is being withdrawn from television broadcasting. Therefore, the
station on that channel had to move to another channel number.
Radio stations
AM
FM
Sites of interest
- The Toledo Museum of Art is an internationally-acclaimed museum located in a
Greek Revival building. The Center for Visual Arts addition by Frank Gehry
was added in the recent past and the Museum's new Glass Pavilion across Monroe Street opened in August 2006.
Toledo Zoo pedestrian bridge
- The Toledo Zoo - consistently rated as one of the nation's ten best - was the first
zoo to feature a hippoquarium-style exhibit.
The Toledo Zoo was also one of three finalists to be in the computer game Zoo Tycoon.
- The COSI Toledo science museum on the
Maumee River in downtown Toledo.
- The Willis B Boyer is a former Cleveland-Cliffs lake
freighter open to the public as a museum, located at International Park, across from downtown Toledo along the Maumee
River.
- The R. A. Stranahan Arboretum is a 47 acre arboretum maintained by the University of Toledo.
- The Old West End is an historic neighborhood of Victorian, Arts & Crafts,
and other Edwardian style houses recognized by the National Register of Historic Places.
- The Mansion View Inn, also known as the Reynolds-Secor home, built in 1887, was home to several prominent and wealthy Toledo
families. It boasts some of the finest architecture found anywhere and is listed on the Department of Interior’s National
Historic Register.
- The world famous Tony Packo's Cafe is located in the Hungarian neighborhood on the
east side of Toledo known as Birmingham, and features hot dog buns signed by celebrities.
The Veterans' Glass City Skyway
Sports
Storm
The Toledo Storm is an ECHL hockey team currently on
hiatus until a new arena is built in downtown Toledo in 2009. The Storm is a farm team for American Hockey League affiliate Grand Rapids
Griffins and Norfolk Admirals. They are also affiliated with the
Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks
of the NHL.
Mud Hens
The Toledo Mud Hens are one of minor league baseball's oldest teams, having first
played in 1896. Fifth Third Field, however, is a new stadium, having been completed in 2002. In 2005, the Mud Hens won the
International League Governor's Cup Championship by beating the Indianapolis Indians and again in 2006 by defeating the Rochester Red Wings. Fifth Third Field also made record-breaking attendance in 2007 with over
590,000 fans, the most in franchise history. The Mud Hens are the AAA affiliate of the
Detroit Tigers.
Rockets
The University of Toledo fields teams in many intercollegiate sports, quite a
number of which enjoy loyal followings by Toledo sports fans. The Toledo Rockets football team plays at the
Glass Bowl, while the basketball teams compete at Savage
Hall.
Golf
Inverness Club is a golf club in Toledo. It is known for
hosting six major USGA events, including the 2003 U.S. Senior Open.
Highland Meadows Golf Club is home to LPGA's Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic presented by Kroger
Motorsports
Toledo Speedway is a local auto racetrack that features, among other events, stock
car racing and concerts.
Major routes
- Interstate 75 from Northwood, Ohio to
Washington Township, Lucas County, Ohio
- Interstate 280 from Oregon, Ohio to
Interstate 75
- Interstate 475 from Sylvania Township, Lucas County, Ohio to Interstate 75
- U.S. Route 20 Reynolds Road (Sylvania Township, Lucas County, Ohio to Maumee,
Ohio)
- U.S. Route 24 S Detroit Avenue (Maumee, Ohio to
Fearing Boulevard), Fearing Boulevard (S Detroit Avenue to N Detroit Avenue), N Detroit Avenue (Fearing Boulevard to Telegraph
Road), Telegraph Road (N Detroit Highway to Bedford Township, Monroe
County, Michigan)
- SR 2 Airport Highway (Springfield Township, Lucas County, Ohio to Western Avenue), Western Avenue
(Airport Highway to Broadway Street), Broadway Street (Western Avenue to Clayton Avenue), Clayton Avenue (turns into Woodville
Road on the Anthony Wayne Bridge, Woodville Road (Clayton Street to Navarre Ave), Navarre Ave
(Woodville Road to Oregon, Ohio)
- SR 25 Anthony Wayne Trail (Maumee, Ohio to
Erie Street (northbound) and Michigan Avenue (southbound)), Greenbelt Parkway (Cherry Street (northbound) /Spielbusch Avenue
(southbound) to Interstate 280), ends at Interstate 280
-
- (northbound) - Erie Street (Anthony Wayne Trail to Cherry Street), Cherry Street (Erie Street to Greenbelt
Parkway)
- (southbound) - Michigan Avenue (Spielbusch Avenue to Anthony Wayne Trail), Spielbusch Avenue (Greenbelt Parkway to
Michigan Avenue)
- SR 51 Monroe Street (Sylvania Township, Lucas County, Ohio to Summit Street), Summit Street (Monroe
Street to Clayton Street), Clayton Street (turns into Woodville Road on the Anthony Wayne Bridge), Woodville Road (Clayton Street
to Oregon, Ohio)
- SR 65 Miami Street (Rossford, Ohio to
Fassett Street), Fassett Street (Miami Street to Oak Street), Oak Street (Fassett Street to Woodville Road), Woodville Road
(turns into Clayton Street on the Anthony Wayne Bridge), Clayton Street (Woodville Road to Summit Street), Summit Street (Clayton
Street to Craig Memorial Bridge), Craig Memorial Bridge (Summit Street to Front Street/I-280) ends at Interstate 280
- SR 120 Central Avenue (Ottawa Hills,
Ohio and Sylvania Township, Lucas County, Ohio to Cherry
Street), Cherry Street (Central Avenue to Maumee River), ends at Maumee River
- SR 184 Alexis Road (Sylvania Township, Lucas County, Ohio to Interstate 75), ends at Interstate
75
- SR 246 Dorr Street (Reynolds Road/US 20 to 17th Street), 17th Street (to Monroe
Street), ends at Monroe Street
Rail transportation
- See also:
