On the State of Ohio's official website you'll find information and services to help you live, work, travel, and do business. The first state to be carved from the Northwest Territory, Ohio became the 17th member of the union on March 1, 1803. In many respects, Ohio has come to reflect the urbanized, industrialized, and ethnically mixed United States that developed from an earlier agrarian period. Where is Ohio? The State of Ohio is located on the northeastern corner of the Midwest region of the United States. Due to its strategic location, Ohio is also known as the Gateway to the Midwest. About Ohio Let us guide you to information about the Buckeye State's history, our land, our people, and the things we produce. Ohio - Wikipedia The recorded history of Ohio began in the late 17th century when French explorers from Canada reached the Ohio River, from which the Ohio Country took its name, a river the Iroquois called O-y-o, great river. Ohio borders Pennsylvania, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, and West Virginia, and it shares a water border with Ontario, Canada. Western Ohio is mostly flat farmland, with some hills.