Cincinnati, Ohio

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Cincinnati" redirects here. For other uses, see Cincinnati (disambiguation).

Cincinnati, Ohio
Flag Seal
Nickname: "The Queen City"
Location in Hamilton County, Ohio, USA
Coordinates: 39°8′10″N, 84°30′11″W
Country	United States
State	Ohio
County	Hamilton
Founded	1788
Incorporated	1819
Mayor	Mark L. Mallory (D)
Area
- City	206.1 km²
- Land	202.0 km²
- Water	4.1 km²
Elevation	147 m
Population
- City (2005)	331,310
- Density	1,607.5/km²
- Urban	1,563,352
- Metro	2,113,011
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Website: http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/

Cincinnati is a city in southwestern Ohio, in the United States of America, that lies on the Ohio River. It is the county seat of Hamilton County^GR6.

As of 2005, Cincinnati's population was 331,310, making it the third largest city in Ohio and the 56th largest in the United States. It has a much larger metropolitan area, commonly called "Greater Cincinnati", which covers parts of Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. As of July 1, 2005, the U.S. Census Bureau esimates that the Cincinnati-Middletown-Wilmington Combined Statistical Area has a population of 2,113,011 (making it the 20th largest in the country) and is growing at a rate of about one percent annually. Greater Cincinnati is the 25th largest metropolitan area in the nation. It is home to major-league sports, including America's first professional baseball team, a National Football League team, and the historic Cincinnati Masters.

It is considered to have been the first major American "boomtown", rapidly expanding in the heart of the country in the early nineteenth century to rival the coastal metropoleis in size and wealth. However, by the end of the century, its growth unexpectedly stopped and it was surpassed in population by many other inland cities.

Cincinnati is also known for the distinction of having the largest collection of nineteenth-century Italianate architecture in the country [[1]], primarily concentrated in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, just north of downtown.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Nicknames 2 Geography and climate 2.1 Geography 2.2 Climate 2.3 Cityscape 3 Society 3.1 Government and politics 3.2 Race relations 3.3 Law enforcement and crime 4 Demographics 5 Economy 6 Education 7 Culture 8 Media 9 Sports 10 Transportation 10.1 Highways 10.2 Rail 10.3 Air 10.4 Public transportation 10.4.1 Cincinnati Subway 10.5 Bridges 11 Sister cities 12 See also 13 References 14 External links

[edit] History

Main article: History of Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati was founded in 1788 by John Cleves Symmes and Colonel Robert Patterson. Surveyor John Filson (also the author of The Adventures of Colonel Daniel Boon) named it "Losantiville" from four terms, each of different language, meaning "The city opposite the mouth of the Licking River." "Ville" is French for "city," "anti" is Greek for "opposite," "os" is Latin for "mouth," and "L" was all that was included of "Licking River."

In 1790, Arthur St. Clair, the governor of the Northwest Territory, changed the name of the settlement to "Cincinnati" in honor of the Society of the Cincinnati, of which he was a member. The society honored General George Washington, who was considered a latter day Cincinnatus—the Roman general who saved his city, then retired from power to his farm. To this day, Cincinnati in particular, and Ohio in general, are home to a disproportionately large number of descendants of Revolutionary War soldiers who were granted lands in the state.

In 1802, Cincinnati was chartered as a village and David Ziegler (1748-1811), a native of Heidelberg, Germany, who fought in the Revolutionary War became the first Mayor. In 1819, Cincinnati was incorporated as a city. The introduction of steam navigation on the Ohio River in 1811 and the completion of the Miami and Erie Canal helped the city grow to 115,000 citizens by 1850.[[2]]

On April 1, 1853, Cincinnati's Fire Department became a paid department, the first full-time paid department in the United States, and the first in the world to use steam fire engines [3].

[edit] Nicknames

Cincinnati has a number of nicknames, including the "The Queen City," "The Queen of the West,"^[1] "The Blue Chip City,"^[2] "The City of Seven Hills,"^[3], and "Porkopolis."^[4] These are more typically associated with professional, academic and public relations references to the city and are not commonly used by locals in casual conversation.

The most common nickname for Cincinnati is the shortened "Cincy" for casual conversation and informal usage.

There are newer nicknames emerging and are used in different cultural outlets such as the hip-hop scene and more casual settings such as "The Nasty" ^{[citation needed]}, "Nasty 'Nati" ^{[citation needed]}, and "The 'Nati" [[4]]. Although the more literal definition of "nasty" is insulting, most of the time it is used to describe it as being a desirable form of the word more common in the vernacular today ^{[citation needed]}.

Some, particularly those of older generations, still use a regional pronunciation of the city's name where the final vowel ("I") is short as opposed to long. Phonetically, this variation would be spelled [sin-suh-nat-/ɪ/] instead of the generally accepted [sin-sin-nat-ee]. This has, however, fallen out of common usage and is no longer considered a proper pronunciation of "Cincinnati" today.

The nickname, "The City of Seven Hills," is not now a literal description of the city, as there are many more than seven hills in modern Cincinnati. When the city was younger and smaller, the June 1853 edition of the West American Review, "Article III -- Cincinnati: Its Relations to the West and South" described and named seven specific hills. The hills form a crescent around the city: Mount Adams, Walnut Hills, Mount Auburn, Vine Street Hill, Fairmont (now rendered Fairmount), Mount Harrison and College Hill.

[edit] Geography and climate

[edit] Geography

Cincinnati is located at 39°8′10″N, 84°30′11″W (39.136160, -84.503088).^GR1

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 206.1 km² (79.6 mi²). 201.9 km² (78.0 mi²) of it is land and 4.1 km² (1.6 mi²) of it (2.01%) is water.

The Cincinnati-Middletown-Wilmington Combined Statistical Area has a population of 2,113,011 people and is the 20th largest in the country. It includes the Ohio counties of Hamilton, Butler, Warren, Clermont, and Brown, as well as the Kentucky counties of Boone, Bracken, Campbell, Gallatin, Grant, Kenton, and Pendleton, and the Indiana counties of Dearborn, Franklin, and Ohio.

[edit] Climate

Cincinnati is located within a climatic transition zone; the area is at the extreme northern limit of the humid subtropical climate. The local climate is basically a blend of the subtropics to the south and the humid continental climate to the north. Evidence of both climatic influences can be found in Cincinnati's landscape material and fauna (see: Southern magnolia, Sweetgum, Bald cypress, and the common wall lizard). The USDA Climate Zone map assigns Cincinnati with a 6a/6b hardiness zone rating (zone 1 being the coldest and zone 11 being the warmest). More mild "microclimates" of a 7a/b rating may be found, particularly along the Ohio River basin. Cincinnati, which is in the Bluegrass region of the Interior Low Plateau of Ohio, generally receives less snow and has a longer growing season than much of the rest of Ohio.

The summers in Cincinnati are generally hot and humid with cool evenings. The mean annual temperature is 54 °F (12 °C), with an average annual snowfall of 16 inches (58.4 cm) and an average annual rainfall of 41 inches (1,040 mm). The wettest seasons are the spring and summer, although rainfall is fairly constant all year round. During the winter, particularly in January and February, several days of snow can be expected, allowing for winter sports, although snowfall is lighter than in most of Ohio. January temperatures range from 22 to 39 °F (-6 to 4 °C) and July temperatures range from 66 to 87 °F (19 to 30 °C).^[5] The highest recorded temperature was 103.0 °F (39.4 °C) on August 17, 1988, and the lowest recorded temperature was -25°F (-32 °C) on January 18, 1978.

[edit] Cityscape

Main article: The cityscape of Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati is home to numerous structures that are noteworthy due to their architectural characteristics or historic associations. The city also boasts Fountain Square, Cincinnati and a riverfront that is being revitalized under The Banks project. It can be said that Cincinnati is very European in design with it's focus centered around Fountain Square,instead of its tallest buildings.

[edit] Society

[edit] Government and politics

The city is governed by a nine-member city council, whose members are elected at large. Prior to 1924, city council was elected through a system of wards. The ward system lent itself to corruption and Cincinnati was run by the Republican political machine of Boss Cox from the 1880's through the 1920's with a few brief interludes. A reform movement arose in 1923, led by another Republican, Murray Seasongood. Seasongood eventually founded the Charter Committee, which used ballot initiatives in 1924 to eliminate the ward system and replace it with the current at-large system and also to introduce a city manager. From 1924 to 1957, the council was selected by proportional representation. As of 1957, all candidates run in a single race and the top nine vote-getters are elected (the "9-X system"). The mayor was selected by the council. Starting in 1987, the top vote-getter in the city council race automatically became mayor. Starting in 1999, the mayor was chosen in a separate election and the city manager accepted a lesser role in government; these reforms were referred to as the "strong mayor" reforms. Cincinnati politics includes the participation of the Charter Party, the party with the third-longest history of winning in local elections.

[edit] Race relations

Main article: Race relations of Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati was a bordertown between the seceded Confederate states and the Union during the Civil War. There have been many incidents of race-based violence before and after the Civil War with the most notable recent one being the 2001 Cincinnati Riots. The neighborhoods in Cincinnati are highly segregated. This separation was not explicitly created in law books or social procedures, but it is easily seen when considering the density of one racial domination of a particular area. There are also more highly integrated neighborhoods, but these are often surrounded by more demographically polarized neighborhoods.

[edit] Law enforcement and crime

Before the riots of 2001, Cincinnati's overall crime rate was dropping dramatically [[5]]. It was at its statistical lowest point in records dating back to 1992. After the riots, Keith Fangman, president of the Cincinnati Police Department's Fraternal Order of Police made various suggestive statements inspiring an unofficial "work slowdown" to demonstrate their frustration with the additional scrutiny and lack of support from other city entities. This meant they did not go out of their way for discretionary or self-related work, but they still did respond to emergencies. One example of Fangman's statements is: "If you want to make 20 traffic stops a shift and chase every dope dealer you see, you go right ahead," he wrote. "Just remember that if something goes wrong, or you make the slightest mistake in that split second, it could result in having your worst nightmare come true for you and your family, and City Hall will sell you out."

After the riots, violent crime has skyrocketed, but still well below the statistics in the 1970s ^{[citation needed]}. The police force "work slowdown" correlates with this increase. It is important to note that Fangman repeatedly denied there was an organized effort for a slowdown, but many of his various recorded and public statements clearly discouraged pro-active policing repeatedly.

In May and June 2006, together with the Hamilton County Sheriff, the Cincinnati Police Department created a task force focusing on a crackdown of crime. This consisted of an extra twenty deputies assigned to Over-the-Rhine and helped reduce the crime rate of downtown Cincinnati by 29% ^{[citation needed]}. This marks a dramatic decrease in crime but has not reduced the crime levels to pre-riots/pre-work slowdown levels.

In the general elections on November 7, 2006, Hamilton County voters rejected a quarter-cent sales tax increase which would have been used to build a new jail system.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census estimates ^GR2 of 2005, there were 331,310 people, 166,012 households, and 72,566 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,498.0/km² (3,879.8.0/mi²). There were 166,012 housing units at an average density of 822.1/km² (2,129.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 52.97% White, 42.92% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 1.55% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.63% from other races, and 1.68% from two or more races. 1.28% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 148,095 households out of which 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 26.6% were married couples living together, 18.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.0% were non-families. 42.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 3.02.

The age distribution is 24.5% under the age of 18, 12.9% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $29,493, and the median income for a family was $37,543. Males had a median income of $33,063 versus $26,946 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,962. About 18.2% of families and 21.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.0% of those under age 18 and 14.8% of those age 65 or over.

There has been concerted effort by the local government to stem the tide of emigrants. The population of Cincinnati decreased by nine percent between 1990 and 2000. Many of those leaving are living in the suburbs just outside of Cincinnati (often considered "Greater Cincinnati"). Several reasons are mentioned for this phenomenon common to many American cities, including job opportunities, entertainment, racial tensions, education opportunities and others. But according to a report released in The Cincinnati Enquirer on October 30, 2006, for the first time in over half a century, the U.S. Census Bureau has reported that the City of Cincinnati has actually gained population.[6] Based on the new 2005 estimate of just over 331,000, this represents an increase of nearly 20,000 new residents since 2004.

Although the Jewish population of Cincinnati at the turn of the century was estimated to be only about 15,000 -- roughly 1% of the national Jewish population of 1,522,500 at the time -- Cincinnati was a center of the American Reform Judaism movement in the 19th Century. Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, a major contributor to the movement, immigrated to Cincinnati in 1854. Under his supervision the Hebrew Union College -- the oldest Jewish Seminary in the Americas – opened here in 1875. The American Jewish Archives (AJA) is also found on Hebrew Union College's campus, and is the repository for Reform Judaism in the Americas. Isaac Mayer Wise also founded the historic Isaac M. Wise Temple, also known as K. K. B'nai Yeshurun.

[edit] Economy

Cincinnati is home to major corporations such as Procter & Gamble, The Kroger Company, GE Infrastructure, Federated Department Stores (owner of Macy's and Bloomingdale's), Convergys, Chiquita Brands International, Great American Insurance Company, The E. W. Scripps Company, the United States Playing Card Company, and Fifth Third Bank. Comparatively-speaking, the region fares well nationally with 10 Fortune 500 companies and 18 Fortune 1000 companies headquartered in the Cincinnati area. Statistically, Greater Cincinnati ranks sixth in the U.S. with 4.98 Fortune 500 companies per million residents and fourth in the U.S. with 8.96 Fortune 1000 companies per million residents.[7]

[edit] Education

Cincinnati Public Schools operates the public schools in the city, including 16 high schools, each accepting students on a city-wide basis. The Cincinnati area is also home to a number of Catholic high schools, most of which are single-sex. The city is also home to a variety of other private schools, some of which are secular.

[edit] Culture

Main article: Culture in Cincinnati, Ohio

See also: List of notable people from Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati is home to numerous festivals and events throughout the year. To celebrate its German heritage, Cincinnati hosts the second largest Oktoberfest in the world (after the original Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany). During the summer the Jazz festival is held a weekend in July. The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden and a local bank sponsor the Festival of Lights during the holiday season. The city plays host to numerous musical and theater operations, boasts a large park system, and has a diverse dining culture. One of Cincinnati's most famous attractions is The Fountain Square, Cincinnati, which serves as one of the cultural cornerstones of the region.

[edit] Media

Main article: Media in Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati is served by two daily newspapers, the Cincinnati Enquirer and the Cincinnati Post and six alternative, weekly, and monthly publications. It is home to ten television stations and many radio stations.

[edit] Sports

Main article: Sports in Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati is home to seven major sports venues, two major league teams, six minor league teams, and hosts five college institutions with their own sports teams. It is home to baseball's Reds, America's first professional baseball team, the Bengals of the National Football League, and the historic international men's and women's tennis tournament, The A.T.P. Masters Series Cincinnati Masters.

[edit] Transportation

[edit] Highways

Main article: Roads of Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati is served by three major interstate highways. Interstate 75 is a north-south route through the Mill Creek valley, whereas Interstate 71 cuts northeast towards Mt. Adams and Walnut Hills. Interstate 74 begins at Interstate 75 west of downtown and proceeds towards Indiana.

The city also has an outer-belt, Interstate 275, and a spur to Kentucky, Interstate 471. It is also served by numerous U.S. highways: US 22, US 27, US 42, US 50, US 52 and US 127.

ARTIMIS is Cincinnati's interstate information service. Current highway conditions are available 24/7 locally by dialing "511". For out-of-town drivers or "511"-disabled phone systems, one can call 513-333-3333. [8]

[edit] Rail

Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Cincinnati. Ticket offices and boarding stations are located at Cincinnati Union Terminal at 1301 Western Avenue. The Cardinal, is the only scheduled Amtrak passenger train service that goes through Cincinnati.

The Ohio Hub plan has Cincinnati being part of the C Corridor, which will connect Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland.[[9]]

The city is served by several railroad freight services. The largest of these is CSX Transportation which operates a large railroad yard west of Interstate 75. The Norfolk Southern Railroad and Indiana & Ohio Railway also have a large presence. Norfolk Southern operates the city-owned Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway under a lease agreement.

[edit] Air

Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) is the major airport serving the metropolitan area and is located across the river in Kentucky. The airport is a hub for Delta and its subsidiary, Comair. Lunken Airport is a municipal airfield used for smaller business jets and private planes. It was the main city airport before the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport was built and is located on the east side of town on the Little Miami River. A smaller airport, Cincinnati West Airport, is located in Harrison, Ohio. The Blue Ash Airport, in Blue Ash, Ohio but owned by the City of Cincinnati, was the subject of failed attempts to build a large commercial airport north of the city.^[6]

[edit] Public transportation

Cincinnati is served by the Metro city passenger bus system, operated by the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA). The Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK) serves northern Kentucky and operates bus links in Cincinnati south of Sixth Street.

Greyhound Lines also serves the city from a significant dowtown station.

[edit] Cincinnati Subway

Cincinnati has an incomplete subway system. It was abandoned during construction in 1925 due to cost overruns and is used today as a conduit for fiber optic and water lines. There have been several attempts by SORTA to utilize the subways for a modern light-rail system within Hamilton County. All of these initiatives have thus far failed when placed on the ballot, with the most recent failing 2 to 1 in 2002.

[edit] Bridges

• The John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge, opened in 1866, links Cincinnati and Covington, Kentucky. This bridge was the prototype for the Brooklyn Bridge, also designed by Roebling.
• The Daniel Carter Beard Bridge connecting Cincinnati to Newport and Cold Springs KY, was finished in 1976.

There are 3 other bridges across the Ohio River connecting Cincinnati with the cities of Newport and Covington, Kentucky. This is the most dense array of bridges along the Ohio.

[edit] Sister cities

Cincinnati has nine sister cities^[7]:

- Munich (Germany) - Harare (Zimbabwe) - Kharkiv (Ukraine) - Liuzhou (China) - Rome (Italy)

- Gifu (Japan) - Nancy (France) - Taipei (Taiwan) - Netanya (Israel) (Since 2000)

[edit] See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Cincinnati, Ohio

• Anchor Buggy
• Cincinnati Flower Show
• List of famous people from Cincinnati
• List of Mayors of Cincinnati, Ohio
• List of cities and towns along the Ohio River
• History of Cincinnati, Ohio
• Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
• Wall lizard
• New Madrid Seismic Zone
• Cincinnati Community Councils
• List of Cincinnati neighborhoods

[edit] References

1. ^ Frequently Asked Questions about Cincinnati, Ohio
2. ^ Cincinnati: many discounters say it's a 'blue chip' investment
3. ^ Ups and downs: The hills are alive, but don't try counting
4. ^ [http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/crc/pages/-5926-/ Gateway Sculpture
5. ^ Climate information from The Weather Channel.
6. ^ Blue Ash Airport, Cincinnati-Transit.net.
7. ^ Sister cities designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI)

[edit] External links

• Cincinnati official website
• Cincinnati Fire Department History
• Cincinnati.Com, home of 50 local news media brands owned by various companies
• Cincinnati travel guide from Wikitravel
• Space513.com: Interactive At-A-Glance Cartoon Map of Cincinnati
• Greater Cincinnati Convention & Visitors Bureau
• Cincinnati Photographs
• Northern Cincinnati Convention & Visitors Bureau
• Cincinnati Film Commission
• City government in the reform period
• Cincinnati Theater Web
• Skirball Museum,Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion
• Cincinnati Wine Events
• Fun Day Events
• [10] Some information about the historical race riots
• [11] Detail of the 1841 riots
• [12] Pro-slavery riots took place for days and other details of the 1884.
• [13] Thousands of Blacks leave for Canada as a result of the riots
• Railroads of Cincinnati
• Learn about historic bridges in and around Cincinnati.

Crime Section References

• [14] Crime rate trends from 1992 to 2002.

Police slowdown

• Police frustration brings slowdown – Cincinnati Enquirer
• Time to Pay – CityBeat
• Black motorists pulled over more often in city, study finds – Cincinnati Post
• Cincinnati's Riots: One year later – Cincinnati Enquirer
• Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: 39.13616° -84.503088°
  • Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
  • Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
  • Topographic map from TopoZone
  • Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA

	State of Ohio
Topics	History - Government - Cities - Villages - Townships - Colleges and universities
Capital	Columbus
Regions	Unglaciated Allegheny Plateau - Glaciated Allegheny Plateau - Glacial till plains - Lake Erie - Lake Erie Islands - Black Swamp - Miami Valley - Western Reserve - Northwest Ohio
Metros	Akron - Canton/Massillon - Cincinnati/Middletown (Greater Cincinnati) - Cleveland/Elyria/Mentor (Greater Cleveland) - Columbus - Dayton - Lima - Mansfield - Sandusky - Springfield - Toledo (Greater Toledo) - Youngstown/Warren/Boardman
Counties	Adams - Allen - Ashland - Ashtabula - Athens - Auglaize - Belmont - Brown - Butler - Carroll - Champaign - Clark - Clermont - Clinton - Columbiana - Coshocton - Crawford - Cuyahoga - Darke - Defiance - Delaware - Erie - Fairfield - Fayette - Franklin - Fulton - Gallia - Geauga - Greene - Guernsey - Hamilton - Hancock - Hardin - Harrison - Henry - Highland - Hocking - Holmes - Huron - Jackson - Jefferson - Knox - Lake - Lawrence - Licking - Logan - Lorain - Lucas - Madison - Mahoning - Marion - Medina - Meigs - Mercer - Miami - Monroe - Montgomery - Morgan - Morrow - Muskingum - Noble - Ottawa - Paulding - Perry - Pickaway - Pike - Portage - Preble - Putnam - Richland - Ross - Sandusky - Scioto - Seneca - Shelby - Stark - Summit - Trumbull - Tuscarawas - Union - Van Wert - Vinton - Warren - Washington - Wayne - Williams - Wood - Wyandot

All-America City Award: Hall of Fame

Anchorage, Alaska • Baltimore, Maryland • Boston, Massachusetts • Cincinnati, Ohio • Cleveland, Ohio • Columbus, Ohio • Dayton, Ohio • Des Moines, Iowa • Edinburg, Texas • Grand Island, Nebraska • Grand Rapids, Michigan • Harrisburg, Pennsylvania • Independence, Missouri • Kansas City, Missouri • Laurinburg, North Carolina • New Haven, Connecticut • Peoria, Illinois • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Phoenix, Arizona • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • Roanoke, Virginia • Rockville, Maryland • San Antonio, Texas • Shreveport, Louisiana • Tacoma, Washington • Toledo, Ohio • Tupelo, Mississippi • Wichita, Kansas • Worcester, Massachusetts