Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky metropolitan area

The Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky metropolitan area is a metropolitan area that includes 15 counties in the U.S. states of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. It has a population of over two million people.

General climate

The Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area is located within a climatic transition zone. The southern area of the region, from roughly about the Ohio River, is at the extreme northern limit of the humid subtropical climate; the north part of the region is on the extreme southern cusp of the humid continental climate. Evidence of both humid subtropical climate and humid continental climate can be found here, particularly noticeable by the presence of plants indicative of each climatic region; for example, the Southern magnolia, Crape-myrtle, Aucuba, and Needle palm from the subtropics and the Blue spruce, Maple, and Eastern Hemlock from cooler regions. The wall lizard, introduced from Italy in the 1950s, is an example of fauna in the area that lends a subtropical ambiance to the southern and central area of the region.

Significant moderating variables for the overall climate are:South and central- Ohio River, Licking River, relatively large hills and valleys, and a combined urban heat island effect due to the close proximity of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky cities of Covington, Newport, and Downtown Cincinnati.North- Great Miami River, the area is situated on a glaciated flat plateau, the Miami Valley, and some urban heat island effect in the immediate area of downtown Dayton and Hamilton.

Traveling through the region from North to South, a subtle but interesting change in climate can be observed and is most evidenced by the gradual increase in the occurrence of subtropical indicator plants in the landscape (most noticeable are the Southern Magnolia and Mimosa trees). Also, in the winter there is usually a significant difference in snowfall/ice/rain in the region going from north to south.

Although widely accepted as part of the Midwest, the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area is climatically and geographically located on the northern periphery of the Upland South region of the United States and is within the Bluegrass region of Ohio and Kentucky.

History

The Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN MSA was originally formed by the United States Census Bureau in 1950 and consisted of the Kentucky counties of Campbell and Kenton and the Ohio county of Hamilton. As surrounding counties saw an increase in their population densities and the number of their residents employed within Hamilton County, they met Census criteria to be added to the MSA. The Hamilton-Middletown, OH MSA was also formed in 1950 and has always consisted solely of Butler County, Ohio.

When these two MSAs were combined to form a Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area in 1990, the MSAs became PMSAs. The Cincinnati-Hamilton, OH-KY-IN Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area (CMSA), is the 24th largest Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) in the United States. It consists of the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area (PMSA) and the Hamilton-Middletown, OH PMSA. Prior to the 1990 Census the CMSA did not exist and these two PMSAs were treated as two separate MSAs. As of December 2005, the official designation of the area is the Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN Metropolitan Statistical Area.

The Cincinnati-Middletown-Wilmington, OH-KY-IN Combined Statistical Area is the result of the addition of the Micropolitan Statistical Area of Wilmington, OH (Clinton County, Ohio).

Growth

The Greater Cincinnati region's population has grown 4.7 percent since 2000. [http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20070405/NEWS01/704050397/] .

The 15-county Cincinnati metropolitan area, which includes seven counties in Northern Kentucky and three in Southeast Indiana, now ranks as the largest metropolitan area that includes parts of Ohio. The Census Bureau pegged the Cincinnati region's total population at 2,133,678 as of July 1, 2007. Although Greater Cleveland's total declined to 2,096,471, it should be noted that this city's metropolitan area is the largest entirely within Ohio. [http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080327/NEWS01/803270372/1077/COL02]

tatistical information

¹County was not a part of this statistical area at the time of this Census and the county's population is not included in the total.

²Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) prior to 1990.

Counties

*Brown County, Ohio
*Butler County, Ohio
*Clermont County, Ohio
*Hamilton County, Ohio
*Warren County, Ohio
*Boone County, Kentucky
*Bracken County, Kentucky
*Campbell County, Kentucky
*Gallatin County, Kentucky
*Grant County, Kentucky
*Kenton County, Kentucky
*Pendleton County, Kentucky
*Dearborn County, Indiana
*Franklin County, Indiana
*Ohio County, Indiana

These counties have a total area of 4,465 square miles.

Main cities

In order of 2000 census population:
*Cincinnati, Ohio, (331,285)
*Hamilton, Ohio, (60,690)
*Middletown, Ohio, (51,605)
*Covington, Kentucky, (43,370)
*Fairfield, Ohio, (42,097)
*Florence, Kentucky, (23,551)
*Mason, Ohio, (22,016)
*Oxford, Ohio, (21,943)
*Norwood, Ohio, (21,675)
*Forest Park, Ohio, (19,463)
*Newport, Kentucky, (17,048)
*Lebanon, Ohio, (16,962)
*Fort Thomas, Kentucky, (16,495)
*Independence, Kentucky, (14,982)
*Sharonville, Ohio, (13,804)
*Blue Ash, Ohio, (12,513)
*Loveland, Ohio, (11,677)
*Springdale, Ohio, (10,563)

Major highways and roads

* Interstate 71
* Interstate 74
* Interstate 75
* Interstate 275
* Interstate 471
* The Dixie Highway
* Columbia Parkway
* State Route 126 (Ronald Reagan Cross County Highway)
* State Route 129 (Butler County Veterans Highway)
* State Route 32
* Reading Road
* Decoursey Pike
* Vine Street
* Colerain Avenue U.S. Route 27
* Hamilton Avenue U.S. Route 127

Universities, colleges, and technical schools

Ohio

*University of Cincinnati
*Xavier University
*Cincinnati State Technical and Community College
*Miami University
*College of Mount St. Joseph
*The Union Institute
*Hebrew Union College
*Cincinnati Christian University

Kentucky

*Northern Kentucky University
*Thomas More College
*Gateway Community and Technical College

Area codes

*513 - Ohio Counties
*859 - Kentucky Counties
*812 - Indiana Counties

External links

* [http://www.oki.org/ Ohio Kentucky Indiana Regional Council of Governments]
* [http://www.census.gov/econ/census02/maps/metro/33000us178m.pdf Cincinnati-Middletown-Wilmington, OH-KY-IN Combined Statistical Area (2003) map]
* [http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/ U.S. Census Bureau State & County QuickFacts]
* [http://www.census.gov/popest/estimates.php U.S. Census Bureau population estimates]
* [http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/metroarea.html Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas]
* [http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/aboutmetro.html About Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas]
* [http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/pastmetro.html Historical Metropolitan Area Definitions]