Wapakoneta, Ohio facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wapakoneta, Ohio
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Downtown Wapakoneta
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| Nickname(s):
Home of the First Man on the Moon, Home of Neil Armstrong, Moon City, Wapak
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 Wapakoneta, Ohio
Location in Ohio
Wapakoneta, Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | Ohio | ||
| County | Auglaize | ||
| Founded | 1782 | ||
| Incorporated | March 2, 1849 | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 6.61 sq mi (17.13 km2) | ||
| • Land | 6.56 sq mi (17.00 km2) | ||
| • Water | 0.05 sq mi (0.13 km2) | ||
| Elevation | 896 ft (273 m) | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 9,957 | ||
| • Density | 1,517.14/sq mi (585.79/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) | ||
| ZIP codes |
45895
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| Area code(s) | 419, 567 | ||
| FIPS code | 39-80766 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 2397191 | ||
| Website | http://www.wapakoneta.net | ||
Wapakoneta (say it like "WAH-pah-kuh-NET-uh") is a city in Ohio, United States. People often call it "Wapak" for short. It is the main city in Auglaize County.
Wapakoneta is located along the Auglaize River. It is about 56 miles (90 km) north of Dayton. The city is also about 83 miles (134 km) south of Toledo. In 2020, about 9,957 people lived there.
This city is famous because Neil Armstrong, the first person to walk on the Moon, grew up here. Today, Wapakoneta is home to the Armstrong Air & Space Museum.
Contents
History of Wapakoneta
In 1748, French traders built a trading post near where Wapakoneta is now. It was called Fort au Glaize. Later, in 1760, it was set up again as "Francis Duchouquet's Trading Post."
After the French and Indian War, the British took control of this area. Then, after America became independent, the Americans took over. No new forts were built here by them.
French-Canadian traders started another trading post in 1784. But it was left empty after a battle in 1794.
The city of Wapakoneta itself began in the 1780s. It was a settlement for the Shawnee Native American tribe. Its name, "Waughpaughkonnetta," might mean "the place of white bones" in the Shawnee language.
In 1831, the Shawnee tribe moved to Kansas. Wapakoneta was then officially planned out in 1833. In 1848, it became the main city for Auglaize County.
The Armstrong Air & Space Museum opened in Wapakoneta in 1972. It celebrates space exploration and Neil Armstrong.
Geography of Wapakoneta
Wapakoneta covers an area of about 6.26 square miles (16.21 square kilometers). Most of this area is land. Only a small part, about 0.05 square miles (0.13 square kilometers), is water.
The city is located on the Auglaize River. It also includes parts of three different townships: Duchouquet, Pusheta, and Moulton Townships.
Population of Wapakoneta
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 504 | — | |
| 1860 | 900 | 78.6% | |
| 1870 | 2,150 | 138.9% | |
| 1880 | 2,705 | 25.8% | |
| 1890 | 3,616 | 33.7% | |
| 1900 | 3,915 | 8.3% | |
| 1910 | 5,349 | 36.6% | |
| 1920 | 5,295 | −1.0% | |
| 1930 | 5,378 | 1.6% | |
| 1940 | 5,225 | −2.8% | |
| 1950 | 5,797 | 10.9% | |
| 1960 | 6,756 | 16.5% | |
| 1970 | 7,324 | 8.4% | |
| 1980 | 8,402 | 14.7% | |
| 1990 | 9,214 | 9.7% | |
| 2000 | 9,474 | 2.8% | |
| 2010 | 9,867 | 4.1% | |
| 2020 | 9,957 | 0.9% | |
| 2021 (est.) | 9,840 | −0.3% | |
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In 2010, there were 9,867 people living in Wapakoneta. There were 4,037 households, which are groups of people living together. About 2,614 of these were families.
The city had about 1,589 people per square mile (613 people per square kilometer). Most people living in Wapakoneta were White (97.1%). Smaller groups included African American, Native American, and Asian people. About 1.6% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
About 32.6% of households had children under 18 living with them. The average age of people in the city was 37 years old. About 25.2% of residents were under 18. About 15.6% were 65 years old or older.
Education in Wapakoneta
Wapakoneta has its own high school, called Wapakoneta High School. The city also has a public library. This library is the main branch for the Auglaize County Public Library system.
Famous People from Wapakoneta
Many interesting people have connections to Wapakoneta:
- Neil Armstrong – The first person to walk on the Moon. He was an astronaut for NASA.
- Kent Boyd – A talented dancer who was a runner-up on the TV show So You Think You Can Dance.
- Jennifer Crusie – A popular writer of romance novels.
- Dudley Nichols – An Oscar-winning screenwriter who wrote many movie scripts.
- Bob Ewing – A professional baseball player who played in Major League Baseball.
Sister Cities
Wapakoneta has one sister city. This is a special friendship connection with a city in another country.
- Lengerich, which is in Germany.
It's interesting that Lengerich's nearby towns, Ladbergen and Lienen, are also sister cities with Wapakoneta's neighbors, New Knoxville and Saint Marys.
See also
In Spanish: Wapakoneta para niños
