Toledo is a city in Lucas County on the northern border of Ohio and the western end of Lake Erie. It is the county seat of Lucas County, and the principal city in the Toledo Metropolitan Statistical Area. In the 2000 census, the city proper had a population of 313,619. However, an estimate in 2004 gives the city a reduced population of 304,973 and is still the fourth-largest city in the state. Toledo is known as the Glass City because of its long history of innovation in all aspects of the glass industry: windows, bottles, windshields, and construction materials. The Jeep vehicle has been manufactured in Toledo since 1941.
Toledo is located at 41°39'56" North, 83°34'31" West (41.665682, -83.575337). The city sits astride the Maumee River at the southern end of Maumee Bay, which is the westernmost inlet of Lake Erie. Toledo is north of what was formerly the Great Black Swamp, giving rise to another nickname, Frog Town. An important ecological site, a sandy oak savanna called the Oak Openings region, lies just west.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 217.8 km2 (84.1 mi2). 208.8 km2 (80.6 mi2) of it is land and 8.9 km2 (3.5 mi2) of it is water. The total area is 4.10% water.
As of the census of 2000, there are 313,619 people, 128,925 households, and 77,355 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,502.0/km2 (3,890.0/mi2). There are 139,871 housing units at an average density of 669.9/km2 (1,734.9/mi2). The racial makeup of the city is 70.23% White, 23.55% African American, 0.31% Native American, 1.03% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.28% from other races, and 2.57% from two or more races. 5.47% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 128,925 households out of which 29.8% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.2% are married couples living together, 17.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% are non-families. 32.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.38 and the average family size is 3.04.
In the city the population is spread out with 26.2% under the age of 18, 11.0% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33 years. For every 100 females there are 91.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 87.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $32,546, and the median income for a family is $41,175. Males have a median income of $35,407 versus $25,023 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,388. 17.9% of the population and 14.2% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 25.9% of those under the age of 18 and 10.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Toledo is best known for manufacturing, although this industry has declined considerably in past decades. The Big Three automakers all have factories in metro Toledo. The city is home to three Fortune 500 companies: Dana Corporation, Owens Corning, and Owens-Illinois. Owens-Illinois has recently announced plans to relocate to suburban Perrysburg. HCR Manor Care is an up and coming Fortune 1000 company headquartered in Toledo. Though the largest employer in Toledo was Jeep for much of the 20th century, this honor has recently gone to the University of Toledo. Manufacturing as a whole now employs fewer Toledoans than does the healthcare industry, now the city's biggest employer.
Toledo is the market city for the northwest Ohio, a region of nine counties and a population in excess of 1 million. As such there is a high concentration of retail establishments and medical facilities in Toledo. The city's location at the intersection of I-80/I-90 and I-75 (i.e. "The Crossroads of America") has made it a popular hub location for transportation companies such as UPS and BAX Global. Toledo is also the nation's third busiest rail hub, and one of the busiest ports on the Great Lakes.
The area was settled after the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794 with the name Fort Industry. However, with the War of 1812, everybody fled the area. Resettling around 1817 a Cincinnati syndicate purchased a 974 acre tract at the mouth of Swan Creek and named it Port Lawrence. The syndicate failed 3 years later, and the settlement joined with a river settlement to the north called Vistula. The inhabitants of this joined settlement chose the name Toledo, "but the reason for this choice is buried in a welter of legends. One recounts that Washington Irving, who was traveling in Spain at the time, suggested the name to his brother, a local resident; this explanation ignores the fact that Irving returned to the US in 1832. Others award the honor to Two Stickney, son of the major who quaintly numbered his sons and named his daughters after States. The most popular version attributes the naming to Willard J. Daniels, a merchant, who reputedly suggested Toledo because it 'is easy to pronounce, is pleasant in sound, and there is no other city of that name on the American continent'."
From the Federal Writers' Project - The Ohio Guide - 1940
On January 15, 1936, the first building to be completely covered in glass was constructed in Toledo. It was a building for the Owens-Illinois Glass Company and marked a milestone in architectural design that eventually led to the International style of architecture.
Source:
ToledoOH.com
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