Medina, Ohio facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Medina, Ohio
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Old Medina County Courthouse
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| Motto(s):
"Preserving the Past. Forging the Future."
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Location of Medina in Medina County
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 Medina, Ohio
Location in Ohio
Medina, Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Ohio |
| County | Medina |
| Founded | November 30, 1818 |
| Incorporated | January 31, 1835 (village) |
| Incorporated | May 6, 1952 (city) |
| Named for | Medina |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-Council |
| Area | |
| • Total | 12.00 sq mi (31.08 km2) |
| • Land | 11.79 sq mi (30.54 km2) |
| • Water | 0.21 sq mi (0.54 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,066 ft (325 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 26,094 |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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26,033 |
| • Density | 2,174.50/sq mi (839.575/km2) |
| Demonym(s) | Medinian, Medinanite |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes |
44256, 44258
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| Area code(s) | 234, 330 |
| FIPS code | 39-48790 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1086600 |
Medina is a city in Ohio, United States. It is the main city of Medina County. In 2020, about 26,094 people lived there. Medina is located about 33 miles (53 km) south of Cleveland. It is also about 23 miles (37 km) west of Akron. The city is part of the larger Cleveland metropolitan area.
Contents
History of Medina
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Founding and Early Growth
Medina was started on November 30, 1818. It was part of the Connecticut Western Reserve. The city was first called Mecca. But another community in Ohio already had that name. So, the name was changed to Medina. Both Mecca and Medina are important cities in Saudi Arabia.
Most of the first people who lived in Medina were farmers. In the 1830s, the city grew more. This was because the Ohio and Erie Canal was finished. The canal helped farmers send their crops to markets. On January 31, 1835, Medina became a village. It also became the main city, or county seat, of Medina County.
Important Events and Inventions
By 1855, quarries in Medina were making a lot of money from stone. In 1857, some canal workers went on strike for more pay. The workers were fired, and four leaders were put in jail.
In 1835, two women seeking freedom arrived in Medina. They were traveling by stagecoach. The next day, a relative of a politician came looking for them. He falsely claimed they had escaped and stolen money. Three local lawyers helped the women in court. It was later found that the theft claim was a lie. This lie was used to try and force the women to return to their owners.
A lawyer from Medina, Charles Olcott, invented special iron ships. These ships could balance themselves. He received a patent for his idea in 1835. Olcott later supported building long railroad lines across Ohio.
Fires and Rebuilding
A big fire hit Medina in 1848. It destroyed all the businesses. People tried to put out the fire with buckets of water. But it burned for four hours. No one died, but the town did not have enough money for fire equipment.
In 1870, another large fire happened. It started in a wooden building. This fire destroyed 45 buildings. It almost wiped out the entire town. Even after this second fire, Medina still did not have a proper fire department. Finally, in 1877, the city bought a fire engine.
After the 1870 fire, much of Medina Square was rebuilt. This included the Town Hall. The buildings were rebuilt in a Victorian style. Today, Medina Square is a historic area. It covers nine blocks around Uptown Park. Groups like the Community Design Committee help keep the city's historic look.
In 1950, Medina had over 5,000 people. On May 6, 1952, it officially became a city.
Geography
Medina is located in Medina County. It includes parts of several townships. These are Lafayette, Medina, Montville, and York townships.
The city covers about 12.00 square miles (31.08 square kilometers). Most of this area is land. A small part, about 0.21 square miles (0.54 square kilometers), is water.
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1840 | 655 | — | |
| 1850 | 1,009 | 54.0% | |
| 1860 | 1,234 | 22.3% | |
| 1870 | 1,159 | −6.1% | |
| 1880 | 1,484 | 28.0% | |
| 1890 | 2,073 | 39.7% | |
| 1900 | 2,232 | 7.7% | |
| 1910 | 2,734 | 22.5% | |
| 1920 | 3,430 | 25.5% | |
| 1930 | 4,071 | 18.7% | |
| 1940 | 4,359 | 7.1% | |
| 1950 | 5,093 | 16.8% | |
| 1960 | 8,235 | 61.7% | |
| 1970 | 10,913 | 32.5% | |
| 1980 | 15,307 | 40.3% | |
| 1990 | 19,231 | 25.6% | |
| 2000 | 25,139 | 30.7% | |
| 2010 | 26,678 | 6.1% | |
| 2020 | 26,094 | −2.2% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 26,033 | −2.4% | |
| Sources: | |||
2020 Census Information
In 2020, there were 26,094 people living in Medina. There were 10,755 households and 7,531 families. The city had about 2,174.50 people per square mile (839.575 people per square km).
Most people in Medina were White (88.3%). Other groups included African American (3.5%), Native American (0.2%), and Asian (0.9%). About 3.3% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
Economy
Medina is close to larger cities like Cleveland and Akron. Because of this, many people who live in Medina work in those areas. The average household income in Medina is a bit higher than the average for Ohio.
RPM International is one of the companies that has its main office in Medina.
Education
The Medina City School District serves the city. It has one high school, two middle schools, and seven elementary schools. There is also an alternative school for students who need extra support. A preschool helps children aged 3–5 with disabilities. The newest elementary schools are Eliza Northrop and Ralph E. Waite. They opened in 2009.
Here are some of the schools in the Medina City School District:
- A.I. Root Middle School
- Claggett Middle School
- Eliza Northrop Elementary School
- Ella Canavan Elementary School
- Evolve Academy (alternative school)
- Garfield Elementary School
- H.G. Blake Elementary School
- Helping Hands Preschool
- Heritage Elementary School
- Medina High School
- Ralph E. Waite Elementary School
- Sidney Fenn Elementary School
The Medina County Career Center helps high school students (11th and 12th grade) learn job skills. It also offers classes for adults. Other schools in Medina include St. Francis Xavier School, a Catholic school for grades Pre-K to 8. Medina Christian Academy is a Protestant school for Pre-K to 12th grade. The Medina County University Center offers college-level courses. Medina is also home to the Walton School of Auctioneering.
The main branch of the Medina County District Library is in Medina.
Media
Medina has its own daily newspaper, The Medina County Gazette. It is published every day except Sundays. There is also a free weekly newspaper called The Medina Post. Larger newspapers like the Akron Beacon Journal and the Cleveland Plain Dealer also cover news from Medina. The city receives TV and radio stations from Cleveland, Akron, and Canton.
Transportation
Medina has its own airport, the Medina Municipal Airport. It is about 4.6 miles (7.41 km) east of the city. Major roads like US-42 pass through Medina. State routes include OH-3, OH-18, and OH-57. The Medina Transit Authority runs buses around the city and county.
Trains came to Medina in the 1800s. At one time, three different train lines served the city. Today, the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad still serves many businesses. Many old train tracks have been turned into hiking and biking trails.
Notable People
Many interesting people have connections to Medina:
- Drew Allar, a quarterback for the Penn State Nittany Lions
- Matt Amodio, a game show contestant who won a lot of money on Jeopardy!
- William G. Batchelder, a former judge and politician
- Ryan Dunn, an actor and stuntman from Jackass
- Scott Fahlman, a computer scientist who helped create the emoticon
- Wayne Gift, a former NFL quarterback
- Kyle Juszczyk, a NFL fullback
- Daryl Morey, an executive in the NBA
- Frankie Mossman, a racing driver
- L.L. Nunn, who founded several educational organizations
- Isaiah Parente, a professional soccer player for the Columbus Crew
- Matthew Patrick, the founder and former host of the YouTube channel The Game Theorists
- Greg Paulus, a head coach for the Niagara Purple Eagles basketball team
- Aaron Quine, a racing driver
- Bobby Rahal, a former auto racing driver and team owner
- Amos Root, known for new ideas in beekeeping
- Jon Teske, an NBA basketball player
- Donna VanLiere, an author
- Ricky Wysocki, a professional disc golfer
Images for kids
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Medina town square, 1887
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Medina High School
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Uptown Park, 2024
See also
In Spanish: Medina (Ohio) para niños
