The Cincinnati metropolitan area (also known as the Cincinnati Tri-State area or Greater Cincinnati) is a metropolitan area with its core in Ohio and Kentucky. Its largest city is Cincinnati and includes surrounding counties in the U.S. states of Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana.

The United States Census Bureau's formal name for the area is the Cincinnati, OH–KY–IN Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the metro area had a population of 2,256,884, making Greater Cincinnati the 30th-most populous metropolitan area in the United States, and the largest metro area in Ohio, followed by Columbus and Cleveland.Table of United States Metropolitan Statistical Areas The Cincinnati–Wilmington, OH–KY–IN Combined Statistical Area, adds Clinton County, Ohio (defined as the Wilmington, OH micropolitan area) and, until 2023, Mason County, Kentucky (defined as the Maysville, KY micropolitan area), was part of the CSA. The Cincinnati metropolitan area is considered part of the Great Lakes megalopolis.

Census designation history The Cincinnati metropolitan area was originally designated 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. From 2005 to 2013, the Cincinnati–Middletown–Wilmington CSA included the Cincinnati–Middletown MSA (defined as the old Cincinnati–Hamilton–Middletown CMSA), and Wilmington, OH μSA (Clinton County, Ohio).

In 2013, the CSA was redefined again. The Cincinnati–Middletown MSA was renamed the Cincinnati MSA. The Wilmington, OH μSA remained in the CSA. The Maysville, KY μSA, which had previously consisted of Mason and Lewis Counties in Kentucky, was redefined as consisting solely of Mason County and added to the CSA. The name of the CSA accordingly changed to the Cincinnati–Wilmington–Maysville CSA.

In September 2018, Union County, Indiana, was added to the Cincinnati MSA.

In July 2023, the new metropolitan area delineation were published and Union County, Indiana, was detached from the Cincinnati MSA, and the Maysville, Kentucky, micropolitan statistical area was detached from the combined statistical area.

Most of the region's population growth has occurred in the northern counties, leading to speculation that the Cincinnati–Northern Kentucky metropolitan area will eventually merge with Greater Dayton. Cincinnati is also located very close to other metropolitan areas, such as Columbus, Indianapolis, Lexington, and Louisville.

Population Statistical Area/County12020 census2010 census2000 census1990 census1980 census1970 census1960 census1950 censusCincinnati–Wilmington–Maysville, OH-KY-IN CSA2,316,0222,172,1912,050,1751,880,3321,788,4041,721,6981,574,6631,270,310Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN MSA2,256,8842,130,1512,009,6321,844,9171,753,8011,690,2341,544,6591,244,738Hamilton County, Ohio830,639802,374845,303866,228873,224924,018864,121723,952Butler County, Ohio2390,357368,130332,807291,479258,787226,207199,076147,203Warren County, Ohio242,337212,693158,383113,90999,27684,92565,71138,505Clermont County, Ohio208,601197,363177,977150,187128,48395,72580,53042,182Brown County, Ohio43,67644,84642,28534,96631,92026,63525,17822,221Clinton County, Ohio42,018Boone County, Kentucky135,968118,81185,99157,58945,84232,81221,94013,015Kenton County, Kentucky169,064159,720151,464142,031137,058129,440120,700104,254Campbell County, Kentucky93,07690,33688,61683,86683,31788,50186,80376,196Grant County, Kentucky24,94124,66222,38415,73713,3089,9999,4899,809Pendleton County, Kentucky14,64414,87714,39012,03610,9899,9499,9689,610Bracken County, Kentucky8,4008,4888,2797,7667,7387,2277,4228,424Gallatin County, Kentucky8,6908,5897,8705,3934,8424,1343,8673,969Mason County, Kentucky17,120Dearborn County, Indiana50,67950,04746,10938,83534,29129,43028,67425,141Franklin County, Indiana22,78523,08722,15119,58019,61216,94317,01516,034Ohio County, Indiana5,9406,1285,6235,3155,1144,2894,1654,223Union County, Indiana7,087

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.

Main cities

Population figures as of the 2020 census.

Municipalities with more than 100,000 inhabitants Cincinnati, Ohio (309,317)

Municipalities with 50,000 to 99,999 inhabitants Hamilton, Ohio (63,399) Middletown, Ohio (50,987)

Municipalities with 10,000 to 49,999 inhabitants

Fairfield, Ohio (42,623) Covington, Kentucky (40,961) Mason, Ohio (40,691 ) Florence, Kentucky (31,946) Independence, Kentucky (28,676) Oxford, Ohio (23,035) Lebanon, Ohio (20,841) Forest Park, Ohio (20,189) Erlanger, Kentucky (19,611) Springboro, Ohio (19,062) Norwood, Ohio (19,043) Fort Thomas, Kentucky (17,438) Newport, Kentucky (14,150) Sharonville, Ohio (14,117) Blue Ash, Ohio (13,394) Loveland, Ohio (13,307) Wilmington, Ohio (12,660) (CSA) Springdale, Ohio (11,007) Reading, Ohio (10,600) Alexandria, Kentucky (10,341)

Subregions

Northern Kentucky

Northern Kentucky, also known as NKY, is typically defined as comprising the following:

Kenton County Boone County Campbell County Grant County Pendleton County Bracken County Gallatin County

Northern Kentucky is usually considered to be the main suburban area within Greater Cincinnati, as cities such as Covington and Newport are located directly south of Downtown Cincinnati across the Ohio River. It is also home to CVG airport.

Northern Kentucky was central to the Defense of Cincinnati and contains many Cincinnati attractions, including Newport Aquarium.

Northern Kentucky is home to three of the largest cities in Kentucky: Covington (5th), Florence (8th) and Independence (12th)

Miami River Valley The Miami Valley, or Miami River Valley, is the region surrounding the Great Miami River in Ohio. The region is currently separated into the Dayton metropolitan area and Greater Cincinnati. The counties included in Greater Cincinnati are:

Hamilton County Warren County Butler County

The Miami River Valley is home to many large cities; including Hamilton, Middletown, and Fairfield and is considered to be a large portion of the suburban population.

Southeastern Indiana Southeastern Indiana is made up of multiple counties, but not all of them are located in Greater Cincinnati. The counties included in Greater Cincinnati are:

Dearborn County Ohio County Franklin County

Most of Southeastern Indiana is rural, but a large portion of the population lives in cities like Lawrenceburg, Aurora and Rising Sun. Most of the cities have ties to industry and river trade.

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. Within the area, the USDA climate zone rating can vary from as warm as zone 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 common wall lizard, introduced from Italy in the 1950s, is an example of fauna in the area that lends a subtropical ambiance to the urban core (near downtown Cincinnati) 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 much 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, and the needle palm also may be found as a winter hardy landscape specimen in lawns near the Ohio River. During the winter, travellers from north to south will routinely observe a significant difference in snowfall/ice/rain in the region.

Although widely accepted as part of the very southern fringe of the Midwestern United States in most cases, 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 in the Upper South.

The area is vulnerable to occasional severe weather—thunderstorms, large hail and sometimes tornadoes.

Transportation

Public transportation The Connector streetcar line opened in Cincinnati in 2016. Amtrak's Cardinal makes three weekly trips in each direction between Chicago and New York City through Cincinnati Union Terminal. Regional transit authorities serving the area include the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA), the Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK) and the Clermont Transportation Connection. SORTA and TANK primarily operate diesel buses, though some lines are served by longer articulated or hybrid-engine buses.

Air The Cincinnati area is served by Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) in Hebron, Kentucky. The airport is one of DHL Aviation's three superhubs, offering non-stop passenger service to over 50 destinations in North America and Europe. The airport is a global hub for Amazon Air, Atlas Air, ABX Air, Kalitta Air, and DHL Aviation, handling numerous domestic and international cargo flights every day. CVG is currently the 6th busiest airport in the United States by cargo traffic, and is additionally the fastest-growing cargo airport in North America.

Roads

Interstate 71 Interstate 74 Interstate 75 Interstate 275 Interstate 471 US Highways U.S. Route 22 & State Route 3 (Montgomery Road) U.S. Route 27 (Colerain Avenue) U.S. Route 42 (Reading Road, Lebanon Road) U.S. Route 50 (Columbia Parkway, Ohio Pike) U.S. Route 52 (Riverside Drive, Kellogg Avenue) U.S. Route 127 (Hamilton Avenue) Ohio State Highways Ohio State Route 4 (Springfield Pike, Dixie Highway) Ohio State Route 28