Middletown, Ohio

Middletown is a city in Butler and Warren counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. It is located in southwest Ohio, about 29 miles northeast of Cincinnati and 20 miles southwest of Dayton.

The city was incorporated in 1833 and became officially a city in 1886. It was formed from parts of Lemon, Turtlecreek, and Franklin townships.

Middletown is known for its history in steel production. It was home to AK Steel Holding Corporation, originally founded in 1900 as Armco. The steel factory there still operates today as part of Cleveland-Cliffs. The city also has Hook Field Municipal Airport, which now serves general aviation, and a regional campus of Miami University. In 1957, Middletown was honored as an All-America City.

History

Middletown started when Judge John Cleves Symmes bought land in 1788. In 1802, Stephen Vail Jr. bought land along the Great Miami River and created a village.

The city grew when the Miami and Erie Canal was built in 1825. Later, many railroads came to Middletown. It became famous for steel when a big steel plant opened in 1900.

Etymology

The city’s name may have come from Vail’s hometown of Middletown, New Jersey. Others think it was named because it was halfway along the Great Miami River or between Dayton and Cincinnati.

Geography

Middletown covers an area of 26.43 square miles (68.45 km²), with 26.19 square miles (67.83 km²) of land and 0.24 square miles (0.62 km²) of water.

The city is next to the Great Miami River and shares borders with the cities of Franklin, Monroe, Trenton, and Liberty and Madison Townships.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Middletown had a population of 50,987 people. The median age was 38.0 years, with about a quarter of residents under 18 and over 16% aged 65 or older. For every 100 females, there were about 94 males.

There were over 21,000 households, with nearly 28% having children under 18. About 35% were married couples, while around 33% had a female householder without a partner present. Most of the city's residents lived in urban areas.

2010 census

The 2010 census recorded 48,694 people in Middletown. The city was mostly White at 83.3%, with 11.7% African American and smaller groups of other races. About 31% of households had children under 18, and the average household size was about 2.4 people.

The median age was 38.3 years, with roughly a quarter of residents under 18 and another quarter between 25 and 44. The gender makeup was nearly even, with a small majority of females.

2000 census

In 2000, Middletown had 51,605 people. The racial makeup was 86.98% White and 10.59% African American, with smaller groups from other races. About 30% of households had children under 18, and the average household size was 2.38.

The median age was 36 years, with a quarter of residents under 18 and nearly 15% aged 65 or older. The median income for a household was $36,215, and about 12% of the population lived below the poverty line.

Arts and culture

Middletown has special places that are important to the history of the United States. These places are called historic sites and include the South Main Street District and the John B. Tytus House.

Education

Middletown, Ohio, has different school districts. In Butler County, students go to the Middletown City School District, which includes Middletown High School. In Warren County, students may attend schools in the Middletown City District or other nearby districts like Franklin City School District and Lebanon City School District.

Miami University, based in Oxford, Ohio, has a campus in Middletown. This campus opened in 1966 and serves around 1,500 students each year.

Transportation

Ohio State Route 4 runs north–south through Middletown. Ohio State Route 73 and Ohio State Route 122 run east–west through the city. Ohio State Route 122 connects to Interstate 75 east of Middletown.

Middletown once had many railroad stations for different railroads, including Baltimore and Ohio, Erie Railroad, New York Central, and Pennsylvania Railroad. The last passenger trains stopped in 1971.

Transit service was once run by a private company, but it stopped in 1972. Now, the Butler County Regional Transit Authority provides bus service in the city. Buses connect to Hamilton, Oxford, and Springdale, where people can switch to buses serving greater Cincinnati.

Notable people

Middletown, Ohio has been home to many famous people. Some of them are Steve Baumann, a soccer player, and Todd Bell, who played football in the NFL. Others include Gay Brewer, a professional golfer, and Cris Carter, a Hall of Fame football player. The city has also seen success in sports with Kayla Harrison, an Olympic judo champion, and in entertainment with actress Debra Monk and model Brooklyn Decker.

In popular culture

A well-known book, Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis from 2016, talks about a person who grew up in Middletown. The author, who later became Vice President JD Vance, moved there from Jackson, Kentucky with his family. They faced hard times when many jobs disappeared because of changes in industry.