Map of Toledo Ohio Area
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The entire Midwest is often glossed over as “The Midwest,” as if all the states used to grow the country’s crops were uniform and featureless. Toledo, OH would argue with that idea.
Where is Toledo, OH Located on the US Map?
You’ll find Toledo in the Northwest corner of the state of Ohio in Lucas County. If you trip and fall while facing north, you’ll end up in Michigan, which might explain why there’s so much divided loyalty between The Buckeyes and The Wolverines.
More on that later.
From the perspective of tourism, Toledo is located in a strategic place relative to other large cities you might want to visit while on holiday. If you were to hire a service like Megabus, you’d be set for the ultimate tourist’s vacation set in Toledo and beyond:
- New York, NY – 9 hours
- Detroit, MI – 1 hour
- Cleveland, OH – 2 hours
- Chicago, IL – 4 hours
- Ann Arbor, MI – 1 hour
- Pittsburg, PA – 4 hours
- Washington DC – 8 hours
How Big is Toledo, OH?
In the year 2019, Toledo boasted a bustling population of 276,614.
Is Toledo, OH a Good Place to Live?
In the age of the internet, you can hear it directly from the people that live in a city. The following statements are based on reviews taken from niche.com.
One current resident gives Toledo three stars, commenting that Toledo is a very affordable city to live in and that homes are well below the market price of other cities of the same stature. It’s a decent place to raise a family as well as to attend college.
A common sentiment about the Midwest is that The closer you look, the more hidden gems you find. Another 3-star review states that’s the case with Toledo itself, hidden gems to be discovered if you spend enough time in the city to find them.
Another review gives a generous five stars out of five, commenting that after living in the city their entire life, it’s proven to be a small city that doesn’t have too much going on.
People are not entirely strangers with each other as you’d expect from a metropolitan area. There’s enough quiet to be had.
Like any city, there are places to avoid, but the places that are nice are more than worth the residency. The city boasts a lot of talented people who sing, dance, cook, build, and breathe life into the arts. The review closes with the comment that it’s a small city full of love and food, America’s two favorite things.
Oh, and don’t forget the excellent view of the river in the downtown area.
What is Toledo, OH Known For?
World-Class Glass
Toledo has been earning the name “The Glass City” from the 1800s. But that doesn’t mean that it’s just the glass capital of the state. It’s boasted as being the glass capital of the entire world.
That status began with industrial glass production and progressed to breathtaking artisanship today, with glass-centric craft fairs and art exhibitions. Toledo, Ohio has become unrivaled in both the industrial and the creative wings of glass production.
It began with Edward Drummond Libby and his family business called New England glass. That paved the way for further businesses such as Owens-Illinois, Owens-Corning, and then Libbey-Owens-Ford.
These glass pioneers innovated different applications of glass over the decades, going from glass bottles to fiberglass and to flat glass.
It’s one of the ways Toledo survived the death of the industrial revolution. While mills and manufacturing plants around the world are left to rot, Toledo is at the heart of what’s referred to as The New Manufacturing Economy.
So instead of being threatened and crowded out by advances in technology, Toledo’s way with glass has instead been enhanced by it. Internet-based business and niche business has only boosted Toledo’s glass industry.
Visitors to Toledo are encouraged to see the glass pavilion and the museum of art.
World-Class… Frogs?
Founded by a river, Toledo wasn’t always the bustling metropolis that it is today. Toledo used to be smack dab in the middle of a lot of swamp and wetlands. This was prime habitat for lots of frogs and toads. Hence the name Frogtown.
But then a downtown business district was established and grew and grew until the wetlands, sadly, were nothing more than a memory.
But the name stuck to the place, and to this day there are various statues of frogs and toads to be found in Toledo.
Buckeyes or Wolverines – Pick a Side
You would imagine that the loyalty of Toledo would be entirely for their own team, The Buckeyes. But it’s remarkable how divided Toledo is between their own team and the Michigan Wolverines. It’s one of those things that are as iconic as Coke versus Pepsi and it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.
Both Ends of The Wine Spectrum
Sure Toledo has its offerings of wine. Within 85 miles from Toledo, you can visit wineries in Ohio and Indiana and Michigan. There are about 10 wineries and tasting rooms all within an hour’s drive, but as the glass capital of the world, it also offers a wider variety of wine glasses than your average US city.
Holmes Sweet Holmes
Toledo is home to several famous people. Those in the know might immediately think of Katie Holmes. But there’s also PJ O’rourke, the political satirist, Crystal Lynn Bowersox the American Idol finalist, and Weezer band member Scott Shriner.
People that have been alive a little longer than others might even remember that Jamie Farr from the television show MASH also calls Toledo home.
Lighthouse Pride
Even though Ohio does not border an ocean, it still sits next to Lake Erie, which is located on the edge of the state where Maumee Bay sits, the center of the Genesis of Toledo. Located on the bay is a landmark that is a particular pride and joy to Toledo, the Toledo Harbor Lighthouse.
It’s an icon of the Toledo shipping channel. The lighthouse has a festival in its honor at the Maumee Bay State Park.
