Vandalia

Vandalia, Ohio
Aerial view of Vandalia, with the Dayton International Airport to the north
Nickname(s): The Crossroads of America, The Gem's Sparkle, Air City, V-Town
Location of Vandalia, Ohio
Location within Montgomery County, Ohio
Coordinates: 39°52′47″N 84°11′37″W / 39.87972°N 84.19361°W / 39.87972; -84.19361
Country	United States
State	Ohio
County	Montgomery
Government
- City Council	Mayor Bill Loy David M. Gerhard Mike Blakesly H. David Brusman, Jr. Candice Farst David Lewis Joyce Orange
- City Manager	Jeffrey C. Hoagland
- City Treasurer Finance Director	James Bell, CPFA, CPFIM
Area
- Total	11.9 sq mi (30.8 km2)
- Land	11.8 sq mi (30.6 km2)
- Water	0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2)
Elevation [1]	994 ft (303 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	27,298 (2,009)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	45377
Area code(s)	937
FIPS code	39-79492[2]
GNIS feature ID	1049271[1]
Website	http://www.ci.vandalia.oh.us/

Vandalia is a city^[3] in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and a suburb of Dayton.^[4] Its population was 14,603 during the 2000 census.^[3] The James M. Cox Dayton International Airport is located in the city.^[4] Vandalia is a sister city to Lichtenfels, Germany and Prestwick, Scotland. It is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

Vandalia is about 10 miles (16 km) north of Dayton on Dixie Drive (former U.S. Highway 25). It is between the Great Miami River and the Stillwater River. The city has been called the "Crossroads of America" due to its location on the National Road and the Dixie Highway. These correspond to U.S. Route 40 and the decommissioned U.S. Route 25, which in turn, have been supplanted by two major expressways: east-west Interstate 70 and north-south Interstate 75.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.9 square miles (30.8 km²), 11.8 square miles (30.6 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (0.59%) is water.

History

On August 17, 1838, Benjamin Wilhelm, a settler from Pennsylvania, settled in Vandalia on his way to Vandalia, Illinois near the intersection of U.S. Route 40 and US Route 25-A. He stopped here and named his new town after his original destination. He built his home and a small general store as a stop and resting place for travelers heading west. The small town began to attract travelers and entrepreneurs, and on February 7, 1848 the town was incorporated as "The Village of Vandalia" with Benjamin Wilhelm as its first mayor. The village was laid out in 38 lots including a church, hotels, blacksmiths shops, a steam sawmill, meat markets, and a carriage shop. The first church was started by the United Brethren congregation.

By 1959, Vandalia was outgrowing its "village" status, and its citizens voted to make it a council-manager form of government, effectively making the village into a municipal corporation. On January 1, 1960, Vandalia became a Charter City of the State of Ohio.

Demographics

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 14,603 people, 6,235 households, and 4,090 families residing in the city. As of 2009 there were 27,298 citizens. The population density was 1,236.5 people per square mile (477.4/km²). There were 6,489 housing units at an average density of 549.5/sq mi (212.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.08% White, 1.28% African American, 0.13% Native American, 1.23% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.35% from other races, and 0.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.89% of the population.

There were 6,235 households out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were non-families. 29.8% 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 2.32 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $44,463, and the median income for a family was $55,270. Males had a median income of $41,938 versus $26,853 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,199. About 3.5% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.2% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.

Possible merger with Butler Township

Because of a successful partnership of the fire protection system with Butler Township, Vandalia city officials are suggesting a complete merger in the near future.^[5] A merged Vandalia would be the largest northern suburb of Dayton, both with respect to area and population – around 34,000.^[6] The city would receive a significant amount of additional tax revenue from the Miller Lane area. Taxes rates are expected to drop in Vandalia and Butler Township residents would receive public amenities now available in Vandalia. The merger proposal is expected for the 2012 elections.^[7]

Economy

Since the beginning of the new millennium, Vandalia has become a warehouse for commercial, residential, and business growth.

According to Alex Kolodesh, a developer involved with SINGER Properties, an outdoor mall/urban center (much like the Greene in Beavercreek) is being planned for the largely popular Miller Lane area. It will be located somewhere in York Commons. Construction is to start Spring 2009. Also, there is a trolley specifically designed for York Commons and the Vandalia-Butler area which is free and open to the public. ^[8]

PSA Airlines, a regional airline, has its headquarters on the airport grounds in Vandalia.^[9]

Other employers include Iams Petfood (Procter & Gamble), GE Aviation, Eurand Pharmeceutical, Abbey Credit Union, Crate and Barrel Furniture Company, Crown Lift Trucks, John Deer Company, MAC, Delphi Interior and Lighting, Smith Industries, Saia Burgess (Lucas), Mazer Company, Leis Medical, Cintas, Evenflo, Lion Apparal, Unibuilt Homes, EFTECH and Projects Unlimited, Inc.^[10]

Revitalization

The city of Vandalia recently passed plans to reinvent the cities urban core around National Road and Dixe Drive. The plan is bring many of the old shopping centers to the streetfront while placing parking spaces in the back. The first business to take part in this plan is My Favorite Pet on National in which a four story colonial style building will be built streetfront next to Wendy's.^[11] The lot behind Goodyear is also being considered as a spot to place a fountain or a public plaza. Many improvements have gone underway already such as new olden style lamposts, new trees, new signage, decorative stoplights, and brick pavers.

Education

• Vandalia-Butler City School District is one of only two districts to win the excellency rating every year since the rating started in 2002. ^[12]

Notable natives and residents

• Josh Betts of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, ^[13]
• Seth Gorney of the Iowa Hawkeyes.^[14]
• Hometown of Maria Lauterbach, a Marine whose murder in 2007 made national headlines.^[15]
• Christian Metalcore band The Devil Wears Prada.

Events

The City of Vandalia boasts several seasonal festivals and events, such as the annual Oktoberfest in the autumn, the Homecoming parade in the fall, and the Air Show & Parade in the summer.^[16] They also host a firework show, The Star-Spangled Celebration. Other events include "Taste of Vandalia", a culinary event, the Vandalia Corporate Challenge, and the Dayton Business Convention. ^[17]

Parks and recreation

Vandalia has a top-rated parks and recreation community.^[18] Vandalia has over thirty parks in the area. Some of the larger ones include Helke Park, Art Van Atta Park, and the Vandalia Sports Complex. It is also home to two Dayton-Metro parks: Taylorsvile, home to the historic village of Tadmor, and the Aullwood Audobon Center, an outdoor/indoor natural museum. Vandalia also is home of the Vandalia Recreation Center, a highly popular rec facility.^[19]

Wright Brothers monument

A tall, 250-foot (76 m) tall tower will sit on the highway interchange in Vandalia soon. The monument, which will be iron, glass, and brick will be close to the extremely popular Miller Lane development. The city of Vandalia is hoping their city will become a highly popular tourist zone, or "edge city." ^[20]

Sister cities

Vandalia has two sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International:

References

External links

• City of Vandalia official website

v • d • e Municipalities and communities of Montgomery County, Ohio County seat: Dayton Cities Brookville | Carlisle‡ | Centerville‡ | Clayton | Dayton | Englewood | Huber Heights‡ | Kettering‡ | Miamisburg | Moraine | Oakwood | Riverside | Springboro‡ | Trotwood | Union‡ | Vandalia | West Carrollton Villages Farmersville | Germantown | New Lebanon | Phillipsburg | Verona‡ Townships Butler | Clay | German | Harrison | Jackson | Jefferson | Miami | Perry | Washington CDPs Drexel | Fort McKinley | Northridge | Shiloh | Woodbourne-Hyde Park | Wright-Patterson AFB‡ Unincorporated communities Chautauqua | Pyrmont Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties