Medina ( ) is a city in Medina County, Ohio, United States, and its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

. The population was 26,094 at the 2020 census. It lies about south of

Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...

and west of Akron within the Cleveland metropolitan area.

History

Medina was founded on November 30, 1818, as part of the Connecticut Western Reserve. It was originally named Mecca, but an unincorporated community in Ohio already had that name, so the name was changed. Both

Mecca Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia; it is the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley above ...

and

Medina Medina, officially al-Madinah al-Munawwarah (, ), also known as Taybah () and known in pre-Islamic times as Yathrib (), is the capital of Medina Province (Saudi Arabia), Medina Province in the Hejaz region of western Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ...

are

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

n cities particularly significant in

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

. Most early residents were farmers. In the 1830s, the community's growth was aided by the completion of the Ohio and Erie Canal, which helped transport agricultural products to markets. On January 31, 1835, Medina was incorporated as a village and as the

of Medina County. By 1855, the town's quarries were producing over $200,000 worth of stone per year. In 1857, many of the canal workers started a strike for higher wages; the striking workers were fired, and the four workers who started it were jailed in Albion, Ohio. In 1835, two enslaved women and two Native Americans arrived in Medina by

stagecoach A stagecoach (also: stage coach, stage, road coach, ) is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by ...

. One of the enslaved women was the child of then-vice presidential candidate

Richard Mentor Johnson Richard Mentor Johnson (October 17, 1780 – November 19, 1850) was an American lawyer, military officer and politician who served as the ninth vice president of the United States from 1837 to 1841 under President Martin Van Buren. He is ...

and Julia Chinn. The next day, Johnson's nephew arrived, in pursuit of the women, saying that he owned them both, they had escaped, and they had stolen a $1,000 bank check. The women were arrested and charged with stealing. Three local attorneys volunteered to represent them in court. The women were then released to Johnson's nephew to stand trial in Kentucky. Afterward, one of the Native Americans said that the women had asked for help escaping enslavement and their terrible treatment by their owners. It was later found that the alleged theft was a lie in order to make sure the Ohio court returned them to their owners. Medina attorney Charles Olcott invented self- ballasting iron ships and received a

patent A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an sufficiency of disclosure, enabling discl ...

in 1835.The Inventor of Iron Ships
. ''Public Ledger'' (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). August 14, 1835. p. 4. Olcott was originally from Connecticut and had been a student at

Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...

when he came up with the early prototypes for his invention. He was later a proponent of building long-distance railroad lines across Ohio. In 1869, Amos Root founded the A.I. Root Company in Medina as a manufacturer of beehives and

beekeeping Beekeeping (or apiculture, from ) is the maintenance of bee colonies, commonly in artificial beehives. Honey bees in the genus '' Apis'' are the most commonly kept species but other honey producing bees such as '' Melipona'' stingless bees are ...

equipment, and the town became a center for beehive manufacturing. The Root Company had 97 workers in 1886, making it the town's largest employer. A disastrous fire hit the village in 1848, destroying the entire business district. With no facilities for extinguishing fires, the residents attempted to put out the fire using a bucket brigade, but to no avail, as the fire burned for four hours. None of the town's residents died in the fire, but the townspeople failed to budget for the needed firefighting equipment. In 1870, another large fire, which started in a wooden building with a barbershop, destroyed 45 buildings—all but two blocks of the business district—and nearly wiped out the town. Even after the second calamitous fire struck, the town still had not organized a fire department beyond a bucket brigade. In 1877, after repeated dire warnings, the Council finally authorized the issuance of $3,000 worth of bonds to purchase a fire engine. After the disastrous fire in 1870, much of the Medina Square, including the Town Hall and Engine House, was rebuilt under the supervision of onetime mayor and banker Harrison Gray Blake, who owned the Phoenix Building in the same city block. It took almost ten years to replace the buildings on Medina Square, hence their common Victorian style. Medina Square is now a recognized historic district, covering a nine-block area surrounding Uptown Park. The Community Design Committee and the Historic Preservation Board preserve the city's historic look and feel. In 1950, Medina had over 5,000 residents, and on May 6, 1952, it was chartered as a city.

Geography

Medina includes parts of Lafayette Township, Medina Township, Montville Township and York Township in Medina County. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has an area of , of which is land and is water.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the recent

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 2020, there were 26,094 people, 10,755 households, and 7,531 families residing in the city. 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 2,174.50 people per square mile (839.575 people per square km). There were 11,333 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 88.3%

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 ...

, 3.5%

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 ...

, 0.2% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 1.3% from other races, and 5.8% 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 3.3% of the population.

2010 census

At the 2010

, there were 26,678 people, 10,382 households, and 6,991 families residing in the city. The

was 2,260.85 people per square mile (872.973 people per square km). There were 11,152 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.3%

, 3.1%

, 0.1% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.8% of the population. There were 10,382 households, of which 38.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.7% 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, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.7% were non-families. 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.13. The median age in the city was 36.4. 28.3% of residents were under 18; 7.3% were between 18 and 24; 27.4% were from 25 to 44; 25.2% were from 45 to 64; and 11.7% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.1% male and 51.9% female. Of the city's population over age 25, 34.4% held a bachelor's degree or higher.

2000 census

At the 2000 census, there were 25,139 people, 9,467 households, and 6,683 families in the city. The

was 2,215.7 people per square mile (855.14 people per square kilometer). There were 9,924 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.60%

, 2.77%

, 0.19% Native American, 0.74% Asian, 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.26% from other races, and 1.41% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.00% of the population. There were 9,467 households, of which 40.3% had children under age 18 living with them, 35.5% were

living together, 57.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.4% were non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.15. 29.9% of the population were under 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 33.8% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% were 65 or older. The median age was 33. For every 100 females, there were 92.1 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 89.2 males. The

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of und ...

was $50,226 and the median family income was $57,435. Males had a median income of $42,437 compared with $26,893 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 ...

was $21,709. About 5.1% of families and 5.7% 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 7.1% of those under 18 and 6.2% of those 65 or over.

Economy

Due to Medina's location, about 33 miles (53 km) south of

and 23 miles (37 km) west of Akron, many of its residents work in the Cleveland and Akron areas. Medina's median household income is $53,586, slightly above the Ohio median income. RPM International is among the companies based in Medina.

Education

The Medina City School District serves the city. It has one high school, two middle schools, one alternative school (for students with behavioral problems), one preschool (for children aged 3–5 with disabilities) and five elementary schools. The newest elementary schools are Eliza Northrop and Ralph E. Waite Elementary School, both opened for the 2009–10 school year. Both Garfield and Heritage Elementary School were closed at the end of the 2023–24 school year due to redistricting. The current schools in the Medina City School District are: * A.I. Root Middle School * Claggett Middle School * Eliza Northrop Elementary School * Ella Canavan Elementary School * Evolve Academy (alternative school for students with behavioral problems) * Helping Hands Preschool (preschool for children aged 3–5 with disabilities) * H.G. Blake Elementary School * Medina High School * Ralph E. Waite Elementary School * Sidney Fenn Elementary School The Medina County Career Center serves most of Medina County (except Wadsworth) to provide career education for 11th and 12th graders. It also offers adult and continuing education for adults. Other schools in Medina include St. Francis Xavier School, a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

parochial school A parochial school is a private school, private Primary school, primary or secondary school affiliated with a religious organization, and whose curriculum includes general religious education in addition to secular subjects, such as science, mathem ...

serving Preschool (Pre-K) through 8th grade, and Medina Christian Academy, a non-denominational

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

serving Pre-K through 12th grade. The Medina County University Center is a quarter-mile south of the city and offers employers a well-trained workforce with opportunity for ongoing career development. Medina also is home to the Walton School of Auctioneering. The Medina County District Library Main Library is in Medina.

Media

Medina is served by a daily newspaper, The ''Medina County Gazette'' which is published every day of the week except Sundays and federal holidays, and a free weekly newspaper, ''The Medina Post'', published every Saturday. In addition, the '' Akron Beacon Journal'' and the '' Cleveland Plain Dealer'' occasionally cover the city and Medina County. Medina is served by numerous television and radio stations from both the Greater Cleveland, Greater Akron and Greater Canton areas.

Transportation

Medina is served by the Medina Municipal Airport, which is 4.6 miles (7.41 km) east of the city. US-42 traverses the city. State routes include OH-3, OH-18 and OH-57. Medina is also served by the Medina Transit Authority, which runs buses around Medina and Medina County. Rail service reached Medina in the 1800s, and at one time it was served by three rail lines, the Baltimore & Ohio, the Akron, Canton & Youngstown, and the Cleveland Southwestern interurban. Today the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad maintains numerous sidings and spurs serving many industries, mostly on the city's west side. Many other rights of way have been converted to hiking and biking trails.

Notable people

* Drew Allar, quarterback for the Penn State Nittany Lions * Matt Amodio, game show contestant known for winning over $1,500,000 on

Jeopardy! ''Jeopardy!'' is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin. The show is a quiz competition that reverses the traditional question-and-answer format of many quiz shows. Rather than being given questions, contestants are instead g ...

* William G. Batchelder, former judge and former Speaker of the

Ohio House of Representatives The Ohio House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio; the other house of the bicameral legislature being the Ohio Senate. The House of Representatives first met in ...

* Ryan Dunn, actor, stuntman ('' Jackass'') *

Scott Fahlman Scott Elliott Fahlman (born March 21, 1948) is an American computer scientist and Professor Emeritus at Carnegie Mellon University's Language Technologies Institute and Computer Science Department. He is notable for early work on automated pla ...

, computer scientist and credited creator of the emoticon * Wayne Gift, NFL

quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...

* Kyle Juszczyk, NFL fullback * Daryl Morey, NBA basketball executive * Frankie Mossman, racing driver * L.L. Nunn, founder of Telluride House, Telluride Association, and Deep Springs College * Isaiah Parente, professional soccer player, currently playing for the 6 time MLS champions, your Los Angeles Galaxy of

Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...

. * Matthew Patrick, founder and former host of the YouTube channel The Game Theorists & GTLive * Greg Paulus, head coach Niagara Purple Eagles * Aaron Quine, racing driver *

Bobby Rahal Robert Woodward Rahal ( ; born January 10, 1953) is an American racing driver and motorsports executive. As a driver, he won three championships and 24 races in the CART open-wheel series, including the 1986 Indianapolis 500. As co-owner of R ...

, auto racing team owner and former driver * Amos Root, noted for innovations in

* Jon Teske, NBA

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player * Donna VanLiere, author of the ''Christmas Shoes'' series of books and other publications * Ricky Wysocki, professional disc golfer

References

External links

City website
{{authority control Cities in Ohio Cities in Medina County, Ohio County seats in Ohio Populated places established in 1816 Cleveland metropolitan area 1816 establishments in Ohio