Middletown is a city located in

Butler A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantries, pantry ...

and Warren counties in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

, about 35 miles (47 km) north of

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line w ...

. The population as of the 2020 census was 50,987. It is part of the

Cincinnati metropolitan area The Cincinnati metropolitan area and also known as the Cincinnati Tri-State area, or Greater Cincinnati) is a metropolitan area centered on Cincinnati and including surrounding counties in the U.S. states of Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. The area i ...

. Formerly in

Lemon The lemon (''Citrus limon'') is a species of small evergreen trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, native to Asia, primarily Northeast India (Assam), Northern Myanmar or China. The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culin ...

, Turtlecreek, and Franklin townships, Middletown was incorporated by the

Ohio General Assembly The Ohio General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio. It consists of the 99-member Ohio House of Representatives and the 33-member Ohio Senate. Both houses of the General Assembly meet at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus ...

on February 11, 1833, and became a city in 1886. The city was the home of AK Steel Holding Corporation (formerly

Armco AK Steel Holdings Corporation was a steelmaking company headquartered in West Chester Township, Butler County, Ohio. The company, whose name was derived from the initials of Armco, its predecessor company, and Kawasaki Steel Corporation, was a ...

), a major

steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistan ...

works founded in 1900. Although offices were moved to nearby West Chester Township in 2007, the AK Steel factory is still in Middletown. Middletown is also home to Hook Field Municipal Airport (airport code MWO), which was formerly served by commercial airlines but is currently only for general aviation. A regional campus of

Miami University Miami University (informally Miami of Ohio or simply Miami) is a public research university in Oxford, Ohio. The university was founded in 1809, making it the second-oldest university in Ohio (behind Ohio University, founded in 1804) and the ...

is located in Middletown. In 1957, Middletown was designated as an All-America City.

Name

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 from Middletown, New Jersey. Another writer believed that the city was named Middletown because it was the midway point of navigation on the Great Miami River, which was then considered a navigable stream. Another theory is credited to the city being roughly halfway between Dayton and Cincinnati. 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.

Geography

Middletown is located at 39°30′N 84°23′W (39.5060, -84.3759). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Middletown adjoins the Great Miami River. Middletown also borders the cities of Franklin, Monroe, Trenton, and Liberty and Madison Townships.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2020, there were 50,987 people in 20,057 households in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was . The racial makeup of the city was 81.3%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 11.2%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.0% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.1 % Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander and 5.3% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino 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.

2010 census

As of the

of 2010, there were 48,694 people, 20,238 households, and 12,505 families living in the city. The

was . There were 23,296 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 83.3%

, 11.7%

, 0.2% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 1.6% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races.

or Latino 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 Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

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.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 51,605 people, 21,469 households, and 13,933 families living in the city. The

was 2,011.4 people per square mile (776.5/km²). There were 23,144 housing units at an average density of 902.1 per square mile (348.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 86.98%

, 10.59%

, 0.25% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.36% from other races, and 1.42% from two or more races.

or Latino 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

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. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $19,773. About 9.2% of families and 12.6% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 18.4% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Ohio State Route 4 runs north-south through Middletown. Ohio State Route 73 and

Ohio State Route 122 State Route 122 (SR 122) is an Ohio state highway which runs from the Ohio-Indiana state line in Preble County east of Eaton, Ohio to SR 48 near Lebanon, Ohio, a distance of . When the route was designated in 1923, it ran along its current ro ...

run east-west through the city. Ohio Route 122 accesses Interstate 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 The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in the northeastern United States, originally connecting New York City — more specifically Jersey City, New Jersey, where Erie's Pavonia Terminal, long demolished, used to stand — with Lake ...

New York Central The New York Central Railroad was a railroad primarily operating in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The railroad primarily connected greater New York and Boston in the east with Chicago and St. Louis in the Mid ...

(earlier, the

Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway The Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway, also known as the Big Four Railroad and commonly abbreviated CCC&StL, was a railroad company in the Midwestern United States. It operated in affiliation with the New York Central system. I ...

) and

Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad (reporting mark PRR), legal name The Pennsylvania Railroad Company also known as the "Pennsy", was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was named ...

. The last passenger trains were the Baltimore and Ohio's '' Cincinnatian'' and

Penn Central The Penn Central Transportation Company, commonly abbreviated to Penn Central, was an American class I railroad that operated from 1968 to 1976. Penn Central combined three traditional corporate rivals (the Pennsylvania, New York Central and th ...

's Cincinnati-Columbus train, both ending in 1971.

Notable people

Todd Bell Todd Anthony Bell (November 28, 1958 – March 16, 2005) was an American football safety in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears during the early 1980s. College After graduating from Middletown High School, in Middletown, Ohio, ...

, NFL

safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are two slightly di ...

* Gay Brewer, professional golfer *

James E. Campbell James Edwin Campbell (July 7, 1843 – December 18, 1924) was an American attorney and Democratic politician from Ohio. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1884 to 1889 and as the 38th governor of Ohio from 1890 to ...

, 38th

governor of Ohio A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

* Butch Carter, NBA player and coach; brother of Cris * Cris Carter, Hall of Fame NFL player * Dan Daub, MLB pitcher *

Brooklyn Decker Brooklyn Danielle Decker (born April 12, 1987) is an American model and actress, perhaps best known for her appearances in the ''Sports Illustrated'' Swimsuit Issue, including the cover of the 2010 issue. In addition to working for Victoria's ...

, fashion model *

Shaun Foist Shaun is an anglicized spelling of the Irish name Seán. Alternative spellings include Shawn, Sean and Shawne. Notable persons with the given name include: People *Shaun (musician) (born 1990), South Korean musician * Shaun (YouTuber), British vi ...

, drummer for

Breaking Benjamin Breaking Benjamin is an American rock band from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, formed in 1999 by lead singer and guitarist Benjamin Burnley and drummer Jeremy Hummel. The first lineup of the band also included guitarist Aaron Fink and bassist ...

Goodwen Goodwen was formed officially in March 2003. Originally created as a ska band, Goodwen's music later incorporated elements of hardcore punk, indie rock, and progressive rock. The band, composed of seven members, has relentlessly toured the Midw ...

, rock band * William Gross, fanancier for Janus Capital Group and

PIMCO PIMCO (Pacific Investment Management Company, LLC) is an American investment management firm focusing on active fixed income management worldwide. PIMCO manages investments in many asset classes such as fixed income, equities, commodities, a ...

Bill Hanzlik William Henry Hanzlik (born December 6, 1957) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. College career A 6'7" guard, Hanzlik played college basketball at the University of Notre Dame. He was selected for the 1980 US Men's Ol ...

, basketball player and coach * J. Eugene Harding, U.S. representative * Kayla Harrison, two-time Olympic champion in judo * Thomas Howard, former MLB player * Howard Jones, Hall of Fame college football player and coach * Patrick L. Kessler,

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of val ...

recipient *

Frank Lickliter Franklin Ray Lickliter II (born July 28, 1969) is an American professional golfer. He featured in the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking, going as high as 41st in 2001. Early life Lickliter was born in Middletown, Ohio, adjacent to his hom ...

, professional golfer on the

PGA Tour The PGA Tour (stylized in all capital letters as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in the United States and North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also ...

* Jerry Lucas,

Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...

and NBA basketball player * Buz Lukens, U.S. Representative *

Jalin Marshall Jalin Delane Marshall (born July 21, 1995) is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the Edmonton Elks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He signed with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent following the 2016 NF ...

, former NFL Player, currently CFL player * McGuire Sisters, vocal trio * Debra Monk, Tony and Emmy Award-winning actress * Scott Nein, member of the

Ohio Senate The Ohio Senate is the upper house of the Ohio General Assembly. The State Senate, which meets in the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, first convened in 1803. Senators are elected for four year terms, staggered every two years such that half of the s ...

* Clarence Page, columnist for the ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...

'' *

Susan Perkins Susan Perkins Botsford (born April 28, 1954), a native of Middletown, Ohio, was Miss America 1978. She has been a professional singer, spokesperson, and television reporter. Susan walked in the New York Marathon with the Achilles Club (which ...

Miss America Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 17 and 25. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is now judged on competitors' talent performances and interviews. As ...

1978 * Chrystee Pharris, television and film actress * Rufus Phillips, politician and businessman *

Gordon Ray Roberts Gordon Ray Roberts (born 14 June 1950) is a retired United States Army officer and a Medal of Honor recipient for his "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty" on 11 July 1969 whi ...

, Medal of Honor recipient * Charlie Root, MLB pitcher * Terry Rukavina,

All-American Girls Professional Baseball League The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) was a professional women's baseball league founded by Philip K. Wrigley which existed from 1943 to 1954. The AAGPBL is the forerunner of women's professional league sports in the Uni ...

player * Van Gordon Sauter, American Communications Executive * Ed Schrock, U.S. representative *

Kyle Schwarber Kyle Joseph Schwarber (born March 5, 1993) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played college baseball for the Indiana Hoosiers and was a first-round selection in the 20 ...

, MLB

left fielder In baseball, a left fielder, abbreviated LF, is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the numbering sys ...

* Shepherd Sisters, vocal quartet * Paul J. Sorg, U.S. representative * Ferdinand Van Derveer,

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointe ...

in the Civil War * Roy Lucas, American football coach *

J. D. Vance James David Vance (born James Donald Bowman, August 2, 1984) is an American venture capitalist, author, and politician who is a United States senator-elect from Ohio, elected in 2022. A member of the Republican Party, he came to prominence with ...

, lawyer, venture capitalist, political candidate, author of '' Hillbilly Elegy, Senator elect.'' * William Verity, Jr., 27th

secretary of commerce The United States secretary of commerce (SecCom) is the head of the United States Department of Commerce. The secretary serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all matters relating to commerce. The secretary rep ...

between 1987 and 1989 *

John M. Watson, Sr. John M. Watson Sr. (January 10, 1937 - September 7, 2006) was an American Jazz musician and actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles in films such as ''Groundhog Day, The Fugitive, Natural Born Killers'', and ''Soul Food.'' He was also a no ...

, trombonist and actor *

Virtue Hampton Whitted Virtue Hampton Whitted (February 22, 1922 – January 17, 2007) was an American jazz singer and bassist who is best known for her performances during the 1940s and 1950s as a member of the Hampton family band and The Hampton Sisters, a musical gr ...

, jazz singer and bassist

Pop culture references

describes his life in Middletown in '' Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis'' (2016). His family had moved there from Jackson, Kentucky and became caught in the problems of industrial restructuring and loss of jobs.

Bristol Palin Bristol Sheeran Marie Palin (born October 18, 1990) is an American public speaker, reality television personality, and real estate agent. She is the oldest daughter and second of five children of Todd and Sarah Palin. Palin competed in the f ...

wrote negatively about a 2008 visit to Middletown in her autobiography ''Not Afraid of Life: My Journey So Far'' (2017). Kimmy Schmidt from the eponymous Netflix show falsely claims she is from Middletown, Ohio, in Season 1, Episode 3. Xanthippe looks it up on her phone, expecting Kimmy has made the place up, but is irritated to find that such a place exists. Middletown, Ohio is the home town of James Donovan Halliday, the creator of the OASIS in Ready Player One.

Name

Geography

Demographics

2020 census

2010 census

2000 census

Transportation

Notable people

Pop culture references

See also

References

Further reading

External links