Cincinnati–Northern Kentucky metropolitan area



The Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky metropolitan area (aka Greater Cincinnati) is a metropolitan area that includes counties in the U.S. states of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. The United States Census defines the metropolitan area as the Cincinnati-Middletown Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). As of the 2010 census, the MSA had a population of 2,130,151. The Census also defines the Cincinnati-Middletown-Wilmington Combined Statistical Area (CSA), which adds the Wilmington, Ohio Micropolitan Statistical Area to the metropolitan area for a 2009 estimated population of 2,214,954.

The Cincinnati – Northern Kentucky metropolitan area is also considered part of the Great Lakes Megalopolis.

The Suburbs
The suburbs of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky can range in population from extremely small to as many as 40,000+ citizens. Many suburbs are their own little towns (e.g. Batavia, Ohio) but many are considered townships and counties. Adams County - population: estimated 28,213. Amelia - population:3,530 Anderson Township - population:37,700 Arlington Heights - population:830 Bethel - population:2,633 Blue Ash - population:12,767 Cherry Grove - population:4,144 Cheviot - population:8,280 Cleves - population:2,600 Colerain - population:60,144 Covington - population:43,370 Deerfield Township - population:30,500 Fairfield Township - population:17,171 Fayetteville - population:376 Florence - population:28,381 Fort Thomas - population:16,495 Green Township - population: 61,285 (CDP breakdown below) Goshen - population:12,800 Hamilton - population:62,000 Harrison - population:14,000 Hyde Park - population:7,300 Indian Hill - population:6,000 Kenwood - population:6,800 Lebanon - population:20,500 Liberty Township - population:25,200 Loveland - population:11,500 Madeira - population:9,022 Mariemont - population:3,100 Mason - population:30,000 Middletown, Ohio - population: 51,605 Milford - population:6,300 Montgomery - population:10,200 New Richmond - population:2,500 North College Hill - population:9,500 Norwood - population:20,100 Oxford - population:21,943 Pierce Township - population:13,500 Silverton - population:5,178 Springboro (Partial) - population:17,500 Union Township (Clermont County) - population:43,900
 * Bridgetown - population: 12,164
 * Covedale - population: 6,218
 * Dent - population: 8,824
 * Mack - population: 9,570,
 * Monfort Heights - population: 8,693,
 * White Oak - population: 6,537,

West Chester Township - population 57,123

General climate
The Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky metropolitan 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. Within the area, the USDA climate zone rating can vary from as warm as zone 7 and 6b to as cool as zone 5b, with the warmest areas tending to be found closest to the Ohio River; individual microclimates of even cooler and warmer temperature may occur in the area but are too small to be considered in the overall climate zone rating. 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

Suburban - large parking lots that take up the bulk of the land in Mason, West Chester, and Florence create a heat island effect.

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, the needle palm also may be found as a winter hardy landscape specimen in yards near the Ohio River). 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 metropolitan 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.

Census Designation 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 consisted solely of Butler County, Ohio.

In 1990, the Census changed designation of the areas known as MSAs to Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area (PMSA), and a new Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area (CMSA) grouping was created. From 1990 through 2005, the Cincinnati-Hamilton-Middletown CMSA included the Cincinnati-Hamilton, OH-KY-IN PMSA and the Hamilton-Middletown, OH PMSA.

As of December 2005, Census terminology changed again, eliminating the PMSA/CMSA terminology. Consolidated Statistical Areas (CSA) combine more than one Core Based Statistical Area (CBSA). Newly defined MSAs (Metropolitan) and µSAs (Micropolitan) Statistical Areas are CBSAs. The Cincinnati-Middletown-Wilmington CSA includes the Cincinnati-Middletown MSA (defined as the old Cincinnati-Hamilton-Middletown CMSA), and Wilmington, OH USA (Clinton County, Ohio).

Population Growth
The Metropolitan area's population has grown 8.1 percent between Census 2000 and the 2009 Census population estimate, just under the national population growth rate of 9.2 percent over the same period. This growth rate is about in the middle of the growth rates of other similarly sized mid western metropolitan areas. For example, the Cleveland metropolitan area lost approximately 2% of population, while Louisville gained 8%, Columbus gained 12%, and Indianapolis gained 14% over the same time period.

The 2009 population estimate from the US Census classifies population changes between natural population increases (number of births minus number of deaths) and net migration (the difference between people moving into the region minus those moving out of the region). Natural population increase contributes fundamentally all of Greater Cincinnati's population growth. A small amount of net international migration to the region is offset by a small amount of net domestic migration out of the region.

The Cincinnati-Middletown Metropolitan Statistical Area (the "MSA"), which includes seven counties in Northern Kentucky and three in Southeast Indiana, is considered the largest metropolitan area that includes parts of Ohio, exceeding the population of Greater Cleveland. However, the Cleveland-Elyria-Akron Combined Statistical Area (CSA), which includes the Akron, Ohio metropolitan area, remains larger than the Cincinnati-Middletown-Wilmington Combined Statistical Area.

Most of the region's population growth in the region has occurred in the Northern counties, leading to speculation that the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky metropolitan area will soon merge with Greater Dayton. Combining the Cincinnati and Dayton Combined Statistical Areas into a hypothetical Cincinnati-Dayton region yields a population of about 3.3 million people, similar in population to the Minneapolis - St Paul region. The combined region would be ranked roughly 14th largest in the nation.

Statistical information
Notes

1For comparison purposes, population data is summarized using 2008 Census CSA/MSA county definitions.

2Butler County, Ohio was previously known as the Hamilton- Middletown, OH PMSA and was separate from the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN PMSA until the 1990 Census, when the Cincinnati- Hamilton, OH-KY-IN CMSA designation was used to consolidate the two PMSAs. The CMSA/PMSA designation is no longer used by the US Census.

Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN MSA

 * 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 15 counties have a total area of 4465 sqmi.

Wilmington, OH USA

 * Clinton County, Ohio

Clinton County has area of 411 sqmi.

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)
 * Wilmington, Ohio, (11,922) (CSA Only)
 * Loveland, Ohio, (11,677)
 * Springdale, Ohio, (10,563)

Major highways and roads

 * [[Image:I-71.svg|25px]] Interstate 71
 * [[Image:I-74.svg|25px]] Interstate 74
 * [[Image:I-75.svg|25px]] Interstate 75
 * [[Image:I-275.svg|25px]] Interstate 275
 * [[Image:I-471.svg|25px]] Interstate 471
 * [[Image:US 22.svg|25px]][[Image:OH-3.svg|25px]] U.S. Route 22 & State Route 3 (Montgomery Road)
 * [[Image:US 27.svg|25px]] U.S. Route 27 (Colerain Avenue)
 * [[Image:US 42.svg|25px]] U.S. Route 42 (Reading Road, Lebanon Road)
 * [[Image:US 50.svg|25px]] U.S. Route 50 (Columbia Parkway, Ohio Pike)
 * [[Image:US 52.svg|25px]] U.S. Route 52 (Columbia Parkway, Kellogg Avenue)
 * [[Image:US 127.svg|25px]] U.S. Route 127 (Hamilton Avenue)
 * [[Image:OH-747.svg|25px]] Ohio State Route 747 (Springfield Pike)
 * [[Image:OH-562.svg|25px]] Ohio State Route 562 (Norwood Lateral)
 * [[Image:OH-131.svg|25px]] Ohio State Route 131
 * [[Image:OH-129.svg|25px]] Ohio State Route 129 (Butler County Veterans Highway)
 * [[Image:OH-126.svg|25px]] Ohio State Route 126 (Ronald Reagan Cross County Highway)
 * [[Image:OH-32.svg|25px]] Ohio State Route 32
 * [[Image:OH-28.svg|25px]] Ohio State Route 28
 * [[Image:OH-4.svg|25px]] Ohio State Route 4 (Dixie Highway)
 * [[Image:Elongated circle 17.svg|25px]] Kentucky Route 17 (Madison Pike)
 * [[Image:Elongated circle 18.svg|25px]] Kentucky Route 18 (Burlingtion Pike)
 * [[Image:Elongated circle 177.svg|25px]] Kentucky Route 177 (Decoursey Pike)
 * Vine Street, Cincinnati

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
 * Art Academy of Cincinnati
 * The Art Institute of Cincinnati
 * God's Bible School and College
 * Gateway Community and Technical College
 * ITT Technical Institute

Kentucky

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

Indiana

 * Ivy Tech Community College

Area codes

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