Ironton, Ohio
| City of Ironton | |
|---|---|
| City | |
Ironton, as seen across the Ohio River in Russell, Kentucky
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 Location in Lawrence County and the State of Ohio |
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| Coordinates: 38°31′51″N 82°40′42″W / 38.53083°N 82.67833°WCoordinates: 38°31′51″N 82°40′42″W / 38.53083°N 82.67833°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Ohio |
| County | Lawrence |
| Founded | 1849 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Katrina Keith |
| Area | |
| • City | 4.46 sq mi (11.55 km2) |
| • Land | 4.16 sq mi (10.77 km2) |
| • Water | 0.30 sq mi (0.78 km2) |
| Elevation | 551 ft (168 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • City | 11,129 |
| • Estimate (2012) | 11,067 |
| • Density | 2,675.2/sq mi (1,032.9/km2) |
| • Metro | 288,648 |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 45638 |
| Area code(s) | 740 |
| FIPS code | 39-37464 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1076122 |
| Website | ironton-ohio.com |
Ironton is a city in and the county seat of Lawrence County, Ohio, United States. Located in southernmost Ohio along the Ohio River, the city includes the Downtown Ironton Historic District.
The population was 11,129 at the 2010 census. Ironton is part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH, Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). As of the 2010 census, the MSA had a population of 287,702. New definitions from February 28, 2013 placed the population at 363,000.
Ironton is a contraction of "iron town". The city has a long history with the iron industry. It also had one of the first professional football teams.
Ironton was founded in 1849 by John Campbell, a prominent pig iron manufacturer in the area. Interested in expanding his foundry business, and due to the area's rich iron-ore content (particularly in the hills to the north), he became interested in the lands surrounding what would later become the city of Ironton. He chose the location of Ironton because of its site along the Ohio River, which would allow for water transport of iron ore to markets downriver. He knew that the slope of the land would aid in transport of the raw material to the local blast furnaces.
Between 1850 and 1890, Ironton was one of the foremost producers of iron in the world. England, France, and Russia all purchased iron for warships from here due to the quality. Iron produced here was used for the USS Monitor, the United States' first ironclad ship. More than ninety furnaces were operating at the peak of production in the late 19th century. Owners and managers who gained wealth from the pig-iron industry constructed many opulent residences in the city.
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