Wilmington, Ohio

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For other places with the same name, see Wilmington (disambiguation).
Wilmington, Ohio
Location of Wilmington, Ohio
Location of Wilmington, Ohio
Coordinates: 39°26′45″N 83°49′45″W / 39.44583, -83.82917
Country United States
State Ohio
County Clinton
Area
 - Total 7.5 sq mi (19.3 km²)
 - Land 7.5 sq mi (19.3 km²)
 - Water 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²)
Elevation [1] 1,017 ft (310 m)
Population (2000)
 - Total 11,921
 - Density 1,599.9/sq mi (617.7/km²)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 45177
Area code(s) 937
FIPS code 39-85792[2]
GNIS feature ID 1061792[1]

Wilmington is a city in and the county seat of Clinton County, Ohio, United States.[3] The population was 11,921 at the 2000 census. It is served by the Wilmington Public Library of Clinton County.

Wilmington was featured in Time magazine on December 8, 1997 as a small town that is attractive to suburban families. James W. Denver, for whom Denver, Colorado is named, is buried in Wilmington. There is also a historic hotel in downtown Wilmington named in his honor. Home to Wilmington College, founded in 1870 by the Society of Friends, the city and the surrounding area include more than a dozen Quaker meeting houses. In addition to Wilmington College, the city is home to the North Campus of Southern State Community College.

Contents

[edit] Economy

In the early 1950s the city became home to a number of U.S. Department of Defense facilities, most notably the Clinton County Air Force Base. Following its closure in 1971, the economy of the city hovered in recession for more than a decade. Following a number of small attempts to reuse the abandoned air force base, Airborne Express purchased the facility in 1979 for $850,000, a fraction of the estimated $100 million spent to construct it. During the next 24 years, Airborne invested more than $250 million to build a hub for its national delivery network, including new sort centers, a 9000 foot runway, aircraft hangers, machine shops, flight simulators, a state of art control tower, and a modern administration building to accommodate an estimated 6,000 employees and its fleet of 125 DC-8, DC-9 and Boeing 767 aircraft.

In 2003, Airborne Express reorganized and ABX Air, Inc. was created. ABX Air is a contract freight forwarding business with the primary customer being DHL, one of the world's largest international shipping firms. Owned by the Deutsche Post WorldNet, a German holding company, DHL consolidated its US flight and sorting hub operations in Wilmington in 2005. However, in May of 2008, DHL announced a restructuring plan involving its United States operations, a plan that jeopardizes over 6,000 jobs at ABX Air. and hundreds at A-Star[1]. Although DHL has not yet reached an accord with UPS, many are fearing the potential devastation to the Wilmington area and the surrounding county areas as well.

Wilmington is also home to CMH Regional Health System, a growing regional health provider. From its base of operations at Clinton Memorial Hospital, the non-profit corporation has established health clinics in almost a dozen satellite locations in Southwestern Ohio. In 2007, CMH opened its new $20 million cancer treatment center in Wilmington.

[edit] Geography

Wilmington is located at 39°26′45″N, 83°49′45″W (39.445913, -83.829128).[4]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.4 square miles (19.3 km²), all of it land.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 11,921 people, 4,867 households, and 2,929 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,599.9 people per square mile (617.8/km²). There were 5,284 housing units at an average density of 709.2/sq mi (273.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.66% White, 6.72% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.65% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.25% from other races, and 1.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.84% of the population.

There were 4,867 households out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.7% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.8% were non-families. 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.7% under the age of 18, 15.8% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $34,880, and the median income for a family was $43,619. Males had a median income of $31,645 versus $22,627 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,346. About 8.9% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.6% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Culture, Recreation, and Dining

Although the people of Wilmington often lament the lack of exciting diversions for their town, the city of Wilmington has developed, over the years, a unique experience that speaks of life in a small town that is becoming larger.

Wilmington does not have a mall or a significant commercial shopping experience, but does host a Super Wal-Mart shopping center, which serves as the mecca for shoppers as well as for the general populace when other alternatives are lacking for amusement. Wilmington does have a bowling alley, Royal Z Lanes, as well as 2 golf courses, Elks 797 and Majestic Springs. The city is also home to the renowned Banana Split Festival, held annually in June, and hosts the Clinton County Corn Festival, a celebration of agricultural heritage with crafts and displays and games and activities, held each September.

In 1994, Happy Wok, the city's first Chinese restaurant opened, and since then, a popular Chinese buffet, #1 China, and other competitors have joined the competition for foreign flare. More recently, a Mediterranean styled restaurant opened up in downtown Wilmington, featuring authentic Italian cuisine and Greek dishes, as well as a full coffee bar. In the vein of the coffee culture, downtown Wilmington also features Jen's Uptown Deli, a metropolitan style deli that features soups and signature sandwiches, and a full coffee bar. The deli is also home to a full fledged skateboarding shop, and has become a boon to the denizens of Wilmington in their skateboarding endeavors and for fund raising efforts to build a skate park.

Downtown Wilmington is also home to the Murphy Theater, which can be seen in the film Lost In Yonkers, part of which was filmed in the city in the early 1990s. The Murphy Theater stages productions throughout the year from various acts and ensembles. Perhaps the most renowned event to take place at the Murphy Theater was the marriage of actor John Ritter and wife Amy Yasbeck on September 18, 1999, with the marquee simply stating "Congratulations John and Amy."[2] Also in downtown Wilmington is the historic General Denver Hotel, which is named in honor of General James W. Denver.

Recently, Kevin Chamberlain, a Wilmington High School graduate, was featured as a choir-member on the NBC miniseries Clash of the Choirs. He was a part of Nick Lachey's choir, which eventually came in first in the competition.

[edit] Famous Residents

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  2. ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  3. ^ Find a County. National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  4. ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.

[edit] External links


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Municipalities and communities of
Clinton County, Ohio
County seat: Wilmington
City

Wilmington
Map of Ohio highlighting Clinton County
Villages
Townships
Unincorporated
communities