Ada ( ) is a village in
Hardin County, Ohio
Hardin County is a county located in the west central portion of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 30,696. Its county seat and largest city is Kenton. The county was created in 1820 and later organized in 1833 ...
, United States, located about southwest of
Toledo
Toledo most commonly refers to:
* Toledo, Spain, a city in Spain
* Province of Toledo, Spain
* Toledo, Ohio, a city in the United States
Toledo may also refer to:
Places Belize
* Toledo District
* Toledo Settlement
Bolivia
* Toledo, Or ...
. As of the
2020 census, its population was 5,334. It is the home of
Ohio Northern University
Ohio Northern University (Ohio Northern or ONU) is a private college in Ada, Ohio, United States. Founded by Henry Solomon Lehr in 1871, ONU offers over 60 programs across five undergraduate and graduate colleges and is affiliated with the Unit ...
.
History
Following the 1817
Treaty of Fort Meigs
The Treaty of Fort Meigs, also called the Treaty of the Maumee Rapids, formally titled, "Treaty with the Wyandots, etc., 1817", was the most significant Indian treaty by the United States in Ohio since the Treaty of Greenville in 1795. It result ...
, the
Shawnee
The Shawnee ( ) are a Native American people of the Northeastern Woodlands. Their language, Shawnee, is an Algonquian language.
Their precontact homeland was likely centered in southern Ohio. In the 17th century, they dispersed through Ohi ...
Indians held reservation land at Hog Creek near Ada. Ada itself was originally called Johnstown,
plat
In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Survey System, Public Lands Surveys to ...
ted in 1853 by S. M. Johnson when the railroad was extended to that point. When a post office was established it was called Ada Post Office, named after the postmaster's daughter, Ada. The post office has been in operation since 1854.
The growth of the village is due in large part to the founding of the Ohio Normal School, now known as
Ohio Northern University
Ohio Northern University (Ohio Northern or ONU) is a private college in Ada, Ohio, United States. Founded by Henry Solomon Lehr in 1871, ONU offers over 60 programs across five undergraduate and graduate colleges and is affiliated with the Unit ...
. The University was founded in 1871 by
Henry Solomon Lehr
Henry Solomon Lehr (March 8, 1838January 28, 1923) was the founder of Ohio Northern University. The Lehr Building at that school was named in his honor.
Born the 11th child to George and Salome Lehr in Oldtown, Mahoning County, Ohio, Henry Lehr f ...
, just eighteen years after Ada was first settled. Today, Ada is the second largest incorporated community in Hardin County.
In 1910, President
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) served as the 27th president of the United States from 1909 to 1913 and the tenth chief justice of the United States from 1921 to 1930. He is the only person to have held both offices. ...
visited Ada, to give the fall commencement speech at Ohio Northern University. To date, Taft is the only president to visit the village. Ada welcomed
Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister, civil and political rights, civil rights activist and political philosopher who was a leader of the civil rights move ...
to the village in January 1968, just three months before his assassination.
Ada has been noted for having one of the
shortest place names in Ohio. The National
Arbor Day
Arbor Day (or Arbour Day in some countries) is a Secularity, secular day of observance in which individuals and groups are encouraged to plant trees. Today, many countries observe such a holiday. Though usually observed in the spring, the date v ...
Foundation has qualified Ada as a
Tree City USA
The Arbor Day Foundation is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees. The Arbor Day Foundation has more than one million members and has planted more than 500 million trees in neighborhoods, communitie ...
since 1981.
Geography
According to the 2010 census, the village has a total area of , all land. The area surrounding the village is mostly farmland and small plots of forest. Hog Creek is the only waterway of note and snakes around the village to the north and the east.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2010, there were 5,952 people, 1,729 households, and 846 families living in the village. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
was . There were 1,910 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 93.5%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 1.9%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.1%
Native American, 1.9%
Asian, 0.7% from
other races, and 1.9% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race were 1.6% of the population.
There were 1,729 households, of which 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.7% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no spouse present, 3.1% had a male householder with no spouse present, and 51.1% were non-families. 38.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 3.01.
The median age in the village was 22.2 years. 13.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 49.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 17.2% were from 25 to 44; 13.5% were from 45 to 64; and 6.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 50.8% male and 49.2% female.
2000 census
As of the
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 5,582 people, 1,783 households, and 850 families living in the village. The population density was . There were 1,948 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 95.50%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 1.58%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.13%
Native American, 1.25%
Asian, 0.30% from
other races, and 1.24% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race were 0.59% of the population.
There were 1,783 households, out of which 22.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.6% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no spouse present, and 52.3% were non-families. 36.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the village, the population was spread out, with 13.9% under the age of 18, 48.6% from 18 to 24, 18.0% from 25 to 44, 12.5% from 45 to 64, and 7.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.4 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $24,665, and the median income for a family was $39,300. Males had a median income of $32,143 versus $23,750 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the village was $12,561. About 11.7% of families and 21.9% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 10.9% of those under age 18 and 19.4% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
The
Wilson Sporting Goods
The Wilson Sporting Goods Company is an American sports equipment manufacturer based in Chicago, Illinois. Wilson makes equipment for many sports, among them baseball, badminton, American football, basketball, fastpitch softball, golf, racquetball ...
NFL football manufacturing facility is located in Ada, and is the only leather football manufacturing facility in the United States.
Government

The village has a mayor, David A. Retterer, who has held the office since 2003. Retterer moved to the village in 1979 to become a mathematics professor at the local
Ohio Northern University
Ohio Northern University (Ohio Northern or ONU) is a private college in Ada, Ohio, United States. Founded by Henry Solomon Lehr in 1871, ONU offers over 60 programs across five undergraduate and graduate colleges and is affiliated with the Unit ...
, before running for mayor for the first time in 2003. Retterer won a 6th term as mayor in 2023, defeating challenger Howard Fenton.
The village also elects a Village Council, made up of six representative elected on a rotating basis. There are no term limits to municipal offices in Ada. The Village Council is elected at large and by popular vote. The members are as follows:
Education

Ada is the home of
Ohio Northern University
Ohio Northern University (Ohio Northern or ONU) is a private college in Ada, Ohio, United States. Founded by Henry Solomon Lehr in 1871, ONU offers over 60 programs across five undergraduate and graduate colleges and is affiliated with the Unit ...
, a private university comprising five colleges.
Ada Exempted Village Public School houses grades K-12 and most of the administration. The district spends $7,701 per student annually ($925 lower than the state average).
Ada High School's sports teams participate in the
Blanchard Valley Conference
The Blanchard Valley Conference is an Ohio High School Athletic Association affiliated athletic league located in Hancock County, Ohio, Hancock, Hardin County, Ohio, Hardin, Putnam County, Ohio, Putnam, and Wood County, Ohio, Wood Counties in north ...
, officially moving in 2023 after spending over fifty years in the
Northwest Conference.
Media
Three media outlets operate in Ada. The ''Ada Herald'' is a weekly newspaper, AdaIcon.com is a news website, and
WOHA
WOHA is a Singaporean multinational architectural industrial design firm. First established in 1994 by Wong Mun Summ and Richard Hassell, its name is derived from the initial letters of the founders’ surnames. Based out of Singapore, ...
, a non-commercial, religious radio station owned by Holy Family Communications.
Transportation
Ada Airport
Ada Airport is a privately owned, public-use airport located one nautical mile (1.85 km) northwest of the central business district of Ada, Ohio, Ada, a village in Hardin County, Ohio, Hardin County, Ohio, United States.
Facilities and ...
is a privately owned, public-use
airport
An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial Aviation, air transport. They usually consist of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surf ...
located northwest of the
central business district
A central business district (CBD) is the Commerce, commercial and business center of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides wit ...
of Ada.
Ada station formerly operated along the
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad ( reporting mark PRR), legal name as the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, also known as the "Pennsy," was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At its ...
and is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
.
Notable people
*
John Berton, computer graphics animator
*
Lily Campbell, Shakespeare scholar and UCLA professor
*
Zac Dysert, American football player
*
Rollo May
Rollo Reece May (April 21, 1909 – October 22, 1994) was an American existential psychologist and author of the influential book '' Love and Will'' (1969). He is often associated with humanistic psychology and existentialist philosophy, ...
, an
existential
Existentialism is a family of philosophical views and inquiry that explore the human individual's struggle to lead an authentic life despite the apparent absurdity or incomprehensibility of existence. In examining meaning, purpose, and value ...
psychologist
A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and explanation, interpretatio ...
*
Carey Orr, cartoonist
*
Lee Tressel
Lee Tressel (February 12, 1925 – April 16, 1981) was a football coach and athletic director at Baldwin–Wallace College in Berea, Ohio. Tressel accumulated the most winning record as the head football coach at Baldwin–Wallace. His 1978 team ...
,
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive Tourist attraction, attraction devoted to college football, college American football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players ...
r
References
External links
City of Ada website
{{Authority control
Villages in Hardin County, Ohio
Ohio Northern University
Populated places established in 1853
1853 establishments in Ohio
Villages in Ohio