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Ohio Geography

by Vishul Malik

Ohio generally has a temperate climate, with cold winters and humid summers. The landscape is made up of small rugged hills. General Features Ohio is a state located in the…


Ohio generally has a temperate climate, with cold winters and humid summers. The landscape is made up of small rugged hills.

General Features

Ohio is a state located in the eastern north-central US. It is bordered on the north by Michigan and the Canadian province of Ontario; on the east by Pennsylvania and West Virginia; on the south by West Virginia and Kentucky and on the west by Indiana. The geographic center of the state is in Delaware County. The total boundary length of the state is 997 miles.

The landscape of Ohio has three distinct topographical regions: the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains, the Erie lakeshore, and the central plains in the western half of the state.

  • The Allegheny Plateau:

    The region makes up the eastern part of the state and consists of steep valleys and rugged hills.

  • The Erie lakeshore:

    It extends for nearly three-fourths of the northern boundary of Ohio. The region is characterized by sandy beaches.

  • The Central Plains:

    These extend to the western boundary of the state with Indiana. The region is distinguished by undulating hills that decline in altitude as they reach the serpentine Ohio River.

Geographical Facts About Ohio

Area 44,825 square miles
Land Area 40,953 square miles
Water Area 3,875 square miles
Highest Point Campbell Hill (1,549 feet above sea level)
Lowest Point Ohio River (455 feet above sea level)
Geographic Center Delaware County
Mean Elevation 850 feet above sea level

Climate of Ohio

Most parts of the state have a humid, continental climate. The state has hot and humid summers, while winters are generally range cold. There is a moderate precipitation in Ohio the year-round. The state is prone to earthquakes, tornadoes and snowstorms.

The monthly average temperatures range from 85.8 degrees to 15.5 degrees. The highest temperature recorded in Ohio was 113ºF; it was recorded near Gallipolis on July 21, 1934. The lowest recorded temperature was -39ºF, at Milligan on February 10, 1899.

Mountains

The landscape of Ohio is made up of many high mountain peaks and summits. Campbell Hill is the highest mountain peak (1,539 feet) in the state followed by Mount Miserable (1,486 feet), and Bald Knob (1,424 feet). The other mountain ranges in the state are:

  • Hulse Hill
  • Ranston Knob
  • Sugarloaf
  • Chapel Hill
  • Clark Hill
  • Rich Hill
  • Norton Hill
  • Chestnut Oak Knob
  • Schweitzer Hill
  • Beavers Hill
  • Blackburn Hill

Rivers

The state of Ohio has 44,000 miles of rivers and streams. Significant rivers in the state are:

  • Ottawa River
  • Maumee River
  • Portage River
  • Rocky River
  • Sandusky River
  • Toussaint River
  • Cuyahoga River
  • Huron River
  • Vermilion River
  • Mahoning River

Lakes

Ohio has more than 2,500 lakes. Lake Erie, the southernmost Great Lake is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America. The important lakes are:

  • Briar Hill Lake
  • Baldwin Lake
  • Eureka Lake
  • Lake Elissa
  • Lake Issac
  • Green Lake
  • Neptune Lake
  • Meadow Lake
  • Wallace Lake

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