Decorative drawing: a small American settlement seen from a low hill. Not a photograph of this place.

Lima, Ohio

15 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1906 and the latest in 1986. It stands in Lima City. It lies in ZIP code area 45801. The Survey maps it on the Lima quadrangle. 35,579 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 879 feet above sea level.

Research this city

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Lima within Allen County

Population over time

2 figures

Lima fell from 38,771 to 35,579 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.

Year	People	Change
2010	38,771
2020	35,579	-3,192 (-8%)

Then and now

1906 to 1986

The same ground, surveyed 80 years apart. Drag the handle to wipe between them. Both sheets are United States Geological Survey originals; neither has been altered.

Topographic sheet of Lima, surveyed 1986

Topographic sheet of Lima, surveyed 1906

Topographic sheets covering this place

15 sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

1906 USGS Lima quadrangle1:62500
1906 USGS Lima quadrangle1:62500
1953 USGS Muncie quadrangle1:250000
1953 USGS Muncie quadrangle1:250000
1953 USGS Muncie quadrangle1:250000
1953 USGS Muncie quadrangle1:250000
1953 USGS Muncie quadrangle1:250000
1956 USGS Muncie quadrangle1:250000
1961 USGS Lima quadrangle1:24000
1961 USGS Lima quadrangle1:24000
1961 USGS Lima quadrangle1:24000
1961 USGS Lima quadrangle1:24000
1986 USGS Lima quadrangle1:100000
1986 USGS Lima quadrangle1:100000
1986 USGS Lima quadrangle1:100000

In the county-history sources

30,764 words on this township

History of Allen County, Ohio. Containing a History of the County, Its Townships, Towns, Villages, Schools, Churches, Industries, Etc; Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men; Biographies; History of the Northwest Territory; History of Ohio; Statistical and Miscellaneous Matter, Etc., Etc, published 1885 names this settlement in its chapter on Lima City. These are the passages that mention it, exactly as the scans read.

Lima has passed the first half century of her existence. From the day in 1831, when the pioneers arrived on the spot, now known as the Public Square, progress has been made as remarkable as conciliatory. The locality possessed many advantages - nature made it beautifuL The American pioneers came to draw forth all the resources of the country; the forest began to disappear; mills to spring up along the stream which then flowed swiftly by the settlement ; log-cabins to dot the clearings; roads to lead through the wilderness ; gardens to peep forth from the confusion of fallen and decayed trees; the whole scene to assume an air of busy life, which told at once that the men and. women who toiled there came to stay and to improve and to build up a city. The task which those early settlors of Lima set out to accomplish, has been performed.

Passage source: History of Allen County, Ohio. Containing a History of the County, Its Townships, Towns, Villages, Schools, Churches, Industries, Etc; Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men; Biographies; History of the Northwest Territory; History of Ohio; Statistical and Miscellaneous Matter, Etc., Etc, published 1885.

Before the great majority of them left, forever, the scene of their labors, they saw unfolded the reality of their day dreams, and in this place, where they found a wilderness, they beheld a city; complete in

From what has been already written of Ottawa Township, a knowledge of the location and general physical characteristics of Lima may be obtained. Its altitude (at railroad depot), above Lake Erie level, is 208 feet ; while its depression below Hog Creek marsh is 147 feet, this marsh being 850 feet above the lake level.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Lima City - it names this place 93 more 93 times.

Photographs

1 photograph,

Taken for the Office of War Information and the Farm Security Administration, who photographed the country between 1935 and 1944. Works of United States government photographers, with no known restriction on use. Each opens its catalogue record.

Holland Block Annex, 112-116 East High Street, Lima, Allen County, OH
Unattributed, . Library of Congress

Specimens collected near this place

12 of 335 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. Museums hold 335 specimens collected within 10 miles of Lima between 1893 and 1975: 316 Animalia, 18 Fungi, 1 Plantae. 12 distinct Species records are shown. Collected by Adler, K. K., Amstutz, K., Bezdek, H. and others. Each is a physical object with a catalogue number, and each entry opens the museum's record. This is what was collected and kept, not a survey of what lives here - nothing can be concluded from a species being absent.

Species	Year	Collected by	Where, as recorded
Alasmidonta marginata Say, 1818	1908	not recorded	Auglaize River, Defiance
Ligumia recta (Lamarck, 1819)	1908	Bureau of Fisheries	Auglaize River, Defiance
Quadrula pustulosa (I.Lea, 1831)	1908	not recorded	Auglaize River, Defiance
Chrysemys picta (Schneider, 1783)	1893	not recorded	Cloverdale, Sugar Creek
Etheostoma spectabile (Agassiz, 1854)	1893	PH Kirsch	Sugar Creek, 2 miles north of Lima; Maumee River dr.
Lepomis cyanellus Rafinesque, 1819	1893	P. Kirsch	Lost Creek, Lima, Ohio
Lithobates pipiens (Schreber, 1782)	1893	not recorded	Lima, Sugar Creek
Nerodia sipedon (Linnaeus, 1758)	1893	not recorded	Lima, Sugar Creek
Regina septemvittata (Say, 1825)	1893	not recorded	Lima, Sugar Creek
Thamnophis sirtalis (Linnaeus, 1758)	1893	not recorded	Lima, Sugar Creek
Amanita frostiana (Peck) Sacc.	1902	C. W. Dawson	Lima
Amanita rubescens Pers.	1902	C. W. Dawson	Lima

All 335 specimens within 10 miles, at the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Mines and quarries near this place

8 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 8 workings within 5 miles of Lima: 4 past producers, 2 plants, 2 producers. 4 still produce. What was taken out: Limestone, General, Stone, Crushed/Broken, Sand and Gravel, Construction, Sulfur. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Site	Commodity	Status	Recorded
(Facility) Lima Ohio Refinery	Sulfur	Plant
Fouremans Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer	Sedimentary
Lima Plant	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Plant
Lima Quarry	Limestone, General	Past Producer	Sedimentary
Western Ohio Stone Co. Quarry No. 1	Limestone, General	Past Producer	Sedimentary
Western Ohio Stone Co. Quarry No. 1	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Producer
Western Ohio Stone Co. Quarry No. 2	Limestone, General	Past Producer	Sedimentary
Western Ohio Stone Co. Quarry No. 2	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Producer

Every working recorded in Allen County

Storms near this place

60 of 77 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Lima in 77 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 57 thunderstorm wind, 15 hail, 3 tornado, 2 flash flood. The reports record 2 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

When	Event	Place named	Harm	What the report says
June 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	2 hurt, $200,000	Widespread tree and power line damage throughout the city of Lima. Along a strech of Shawnee Rd. from Fort Amanda Rd. to Reed Rd., every power pole and traffic signal was blown over, completely blocking the road. The roof of an automotive shop at Jackson St. and Findlay Rd. collapsed. Numerous homes and businesses sustained roof damage. About two thirds of Allen County was without power. One person was injured by a falling tree, and one person was knocked over by the wind and sustained minor injuries. There were also up to 15 indirect injuries from automobile accidents during the storm.
June 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	$1,600,000	Three aircraft hangars destroyed. About 17 airplanes and the Allen County Sheriff's Office helicopter were significantly damaged or destroyed.
August 2007	Flash Flood	Lima	$500,000	Numerous roads closed across the county caused by high, flowing water.
April 2003	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	$100,000	Law enforcement reported tress and power lines down across the county with much of the damage in and around Lima. A large tree fell on a home and a car. The Lima High school which was under construction had damage to the roof.
June 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	$50,000	Roof collapsed at the Motel 6 on Harding Highway. The south end of the building sustained considerable damage.
July 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	$50,000	TELEPHONE POLES DOWN ON CABLE RD.
July 1994	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	$50,000	Trees and limbs were downed, some on power lines. An enclosed patio on a home was destroyed by a falling tree.
July 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	$25,000	Many power lines were downed.
April 1995	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	$25,000	Several roofs were blown off houses, and several windows were also reported blown out.
June 2025	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	$20,000	Large tree down onto car at the intersection of North Woodlawn Avenue and Latham Avenue.
June 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	$20,000	Law enforcement officials reported trees and power lines down through the county.
June 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	$20,000	Roof damage to a shopping center. Widespread trees and power lines down.
July 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	$20,000	TV tower blown down.
June 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	$10,000	Several large trees uprooted or downed. Four power poles snapped.
November 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	$10,000	TWO POWER POLES WERE SNAPPED. ONE LARGE TREE WAS BLOWN DOWN. TWO RAILROAD CROSSING ARMS WERE SNAPPED AS WELL.
May 1997	Flash Flood	Lima	$10,000	Riley creek in Bluffton rose out of its banks causing 6 residents to be evacuated. Several roads flooded across the county.
July 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	$5,000	Trees and power lines down throughout county
July 1994	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	$5,000	Trees and limbs were downed.
July 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	$4,000	Canopy on a shopping mall was blown down along with a portion of the wall that it was attached to. 4 blocks to the south several large tree limbs were sheared off from only the lowest 20 feet of the trees.
June 1995	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	$4,000	Large trees downed, some on power lines.
June 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	$2,000	Trees down in American Township reported by Allen County sheriff.
August 2003	Tornado (F0)	Lima	$1,000	Brief touchdown reported near State Route 65 and Interstate 75. 1 barn received damage from the tornado.
July 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	-	Tree inch tree limbs broken. Reported from mPing. Time estimated from radar.
May 2022	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	-	Large tree branches were downed.
June 2022	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	-	Emergency management officials reported trees and power lines down in several locations across the county.
July 2019	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	-	The public reported large tree limbs down.
March 2017	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	-	Local media reported structural damage to a modular home, with roof damage and porch collapse noted.
March 2017	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	-	The public reported a large tree was uprooted onto a privacy fence. In addition, roughly a half dozen other large trees were blown down in the area.
July 2013	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	-	Emergency management officials reported several trees down throughout the county.
April 2013	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	-	A trained spotter estimated wind gusts to 60 mph just south of Lima.
November 2013	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	-	A mesonet station recorded a 63 mph wind gust.
August 2012	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	-	Law enforcement officials reported a large tree being blown down on Lakewood Street.
June 2012	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	-	A trained spotter estimated 60 mph wind gusts. Power lines and small tree limbs were blown down throughout the town.
June 2012	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	-	A trained spotter reported a 80 foot pine tree snapped roughly 20 feet from the ground at the corner of 7th and Main Streets.
June 2012	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	-	A trained spotter reported multiple trees down along Kemp Road. Shingles were blown off many roofs in the area.
June 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	-	Law enforcement officials reported trees and power lines down on the east side of Lima.
July 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	-	Amateur radio operators reported several tree branches down.
June 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	-	A local newspaper reported a large tree fell onto a house and garage in the 600 block of Nixon Avenue in Lima. No information was provided in terms of damage to the structures.
June 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	-	A trained spotter reported a light pole was damaged by strong winds at the intersection of Metcalf and Elm.
October 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	-	A trained spotter reported a 70 mph wind gust near Heritage Elementary school.
June 2010	Tornado (EF0)	Lima	-	The broadcast media relayed eyewitness reports of a weak, short-lived circulation that briefly touched down near the intersection of Kenilworth Avenue and Rice Avenue. Despite the touchdown, the only damage observed in the area was the blowing around of a trampoline. The circulation dissipated northwest of the intersection of Rice Avenue and Cole Street.
June 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	-	Local law enforcement officials reported several trees blown down around Lima.
June 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	-	Emergency management officials reported that part of a wall from a building fell onto a man walking by, causing minor injuries.
June 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	-	Three tractor tailers were blown over on Interstate 75.
June 2004	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	-	Amateur radio reported power lines down in the city of Lima.
August 2003	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	-	Trees and power lines reported blown down. A tree fell down onto an occupied vehicle. No injuries were reported.
April 2003	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	-	Emergency management reported 15 downed power lines and about 30 trees down south of Lima.
July 2003	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	-	Law enforcement reported trees and power lines down in Lima.
July 2003	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	-	A trained spotter reported trees and power lines down in Lima.
November 2002	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	-	Sheriff reported trees and power lines down in and around Lima.
July 2001	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	-	Trees and power lines down.
August 2001	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	-	Trees down in Shawnee.
April 2000	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	-	Power lines and tree lines downed. Time estimated.
September 2000	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	-	Large tree blown down.
August 2000	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	-	Trees and power lines down.
July 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	-	Fourteen 4-8 foot diameter trees were uprooted along the Auglaize River.
July 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	-	Numerous trees blown down.
April 1998	Hail	Lima	-	Three-quarter inch hail was reported by Amateur Radio Operators and Sheriff's Department on Mumaugh Rd. in Lima and along I-75 at Beaverdam.
July 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Lima	-	AT CABLE RD AND LATHEN AVE AND AT ALLENTOWN RD AND ELIDA RD AND AT CLOCK TOWER PLAZA ON WEST SIDE OF LIMA... TREES DOWN AND POWER LINES DOWN. TREES SNAPPED OFF ABOUT 20 FEET ABOVE GROUND, 4 LARGE POLES BEND OVER, AND SMALL CAMPER-TRAILER FLATTENED.
July 1998	Tornado (F0)	Lima	-	TORNADO TOUCHDOWN REPORTED BY SPOTTER 1/10TH OF A MILE NORTH OF FINDLEY RD AT NORTH SUGAR ST. BLEW STEEL WALL DOWN ALONG SCRAP METAL YARD AND POWER POLES SNAPPED OFF. MOVED SE AND TORE OFF RAILROAD CROSSING ARMS BEFORE LIFTING.

Every storm recorded in Allen County

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Place	Distance	Sheets
Shady Grove (historical)	1.7 miles	15
Country Estates	1.7 miles	15
Hunters Chase	3.4 miles	14
Eastwood Estates	3.7 miles	15
Fort Shawnee	4.2 miles	14
Yoder	4.2 miles	15
Slabtown	4.3 miles	15
Elmview	4.6 miles	14

Elsewhere

Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.

Wikipedia article on Lima	An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q983974	The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0).

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 1048916. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Specimens. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), https://www.gbif.org/. Only records licensed CC0 or CC BY are used. Records licensed CC BY-NC are excluded because this site carries advertising. Images are checked individually and any whose licence is non-commercial, no-derivatives or unreadable is refused.

Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.