116 Ohio Trivia Questions (Ranked from Easiest to Hardest)

Ohio, located in the Midwestern United States, is known for its rich history, diverse culture, and contributions to American industry. The state's capital is Columbus and the largest city is Cleveland. Ohio was one of the original thirteen colonies and was the 17th state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. The state has played an important role in American history, from the Revolutionary War to the Civil War and beyond.

Ohio is home to many notable landmarks and historical sites, such as the Wright Brothers National Museum, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The state is also known for its contributions to American industry, particularly in the fields of transportation and manufacturing. Some of the most famous companies that have their roots in Ohio include Procter & Gamble, Goodyear and American Electric Power.

Trivia questions about Ohio can include questions about its history, geography, culture, and famous residents. This article will test your knowledge of the state's past and present, from its role in American industry to its contributions to American culture. Get ready to learn more about Ohio and see how well you fare against these challenging trivia questions. Whether you're a resident of the state or just a curious trivia buff, this article is sure to be an engaging and informative read.

116 Ohio Trivia Questions Ranked From Easiest to Hardest (Updated for 2025)

1. Known for its "Twelve Steps" and “Twelve Traditions” guidelines for keeping clean, Bill Wilson and Robert Holbrook Smith founded what alliterative support group in 1935, which launched one of its first meetings in Akron, Ohio?

Answer: Alcoholics Anonymous

2. What Ohio city is both the seat of Hamilton County and is located at the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers?

Answer: Cincinnati

3. Which Republican president was the most recent to win Hamilton County, Ohio, home of Cincinnati, in 2004?

Answer: George W. Bush

4. J. Warren Keifer, Nicholas Longworth, and John Boehner were all U.S. Congressmen from Ohio who held what powerful position in the House of Representatives?

Answer: Speaker of the House

5. The entirety of the border between Ohio and Kentucky is demarcated by what body of water?

Answer: Ohio River

6. The Audubon Center in Columbus, OH is sponsored by what “G” insurance company, a Columbus based company since 1935? Its name is also the last name of the famous 1920s football running back known as the “Galloping Ghost.”

Answer: Grange Insurance

7. What “F” Castle and Victorian stone house in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood shares its name with the last name of an American Founding Father who invented bifocals and discovered lightning?

Answer: Franklin Castle

8. What U.S. state (which ironically does NOT border the ocean) gives its name to a class of eighteen submarines which are the largest ever built for the U.S. Navy, each displacing almost 19,000 tons?

Answer: Ohio

9. Whetstone Park in the Clintonville neighborhood of Columbus is home to the Columbus Park of what type of flower? It was also the flower that was losing its petals in a jar in “Beauty And The Beast.”

Answer: Columbus Park Of Roses

10. "Welcome to Flavortown" is a catchphrase of what Columbus native who has hosted the Food Network show "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" since 2006?

Answer: Guy Fieri

11. What “S” park in the German Village neighborhood of Columbus, OH, is located on Jaeger Street? It shares its name with the last name of the German composer of “Ode To Joy.”

Answer: Schiller Park

12. What “G” Park in the Victorian Village of Columbus, OH, was the site of the Union troop training site Camp Jackson during the US Civil War?

Answer: Goodale Park

13. The Ohio Art toy company purchased the rights to manufacture l'Ecran magique ("the Magic Writer") and renamed the product to what more commonly-known name? The toy was released during 1960 and sold 600,000 units that first year, becoming one of the defining toys of the Baby Boom era.

Answer: Etch A Sketch

14. With thrill rides including the super-tall Magnum XL-200 and the Iron Dragon, what Sandusky, Ohio theme park bills itself as "the roller coaster capital of the world?"

Answer: Cedar Point

15. What “S” Riverfront park in Cincinnati is located on the Ohio River Trail, and features gardens, a playground, and a splash pad?

Answer: Smale Riverfront Park

16. What 2000 Steven Soderbergh film about the illegal drug trade was shot in notable Columbus locations such as the Ohio Judicial Center and the Ohio State House?

Answer: Traffic

17. Located behind a Columbus Tim Hortons, a sinister concrete tunnel known as the "Blood Bowl" and "Gates of Hell" earned its rep in the '80s when a teen supposedly died there while engaged in what sport?

Answer: Skateboarding

18. Due to its shapely design, The Ohio State University’s football stadium is given what nickname, which is also an object that a farrier makes?

Answer: The Horseshoe

19. 1428 is the street number for a famous fictional house in Springwood, Ohio that was the home of Nancy Thompson and her mother in a 1984 horror movie. What is the street on which this house (1428) is located?

Answer: Elm Street (Nightmare on Elm Street)

20. Yun Hao Feng, the first woman to graduate with a Ph.D. in engineering in the United States, obtained her degree from what midwestern Buckeye-brimming university?

Answer: Ohio State University

21. The Accounting Hall of Fame was created in 1950 at what large Ohio University?

Answer: Ohio State

22. The Cleveland Guardians have a Triple-A minor league affiliate in Columbus with what nickname? A term for a speedy merchant sailing vessel, it’s also the nickname of a pro NBA franchise in Los Angeles, CA.

Answer: Clippers

23. The city of Warren, Ohio crafted a massive set of poplar tree drumsticks (900 pounds!) to honor a native son who served as the drummer for Nirvana and later founded the Foo Fighters as singer and guitarist. Who is this 1969-born musician?

Answer: Dave Grohl

24. What “H” Metro Park on Columbus Pike in Lewis Center, OH, gets its name from the steep land alongside the Olentangy River?

Answer: Highbanks Metro Park

25. Legendary Ohio DJ Alan Freed invented what three word phrase, now often associated with the city of Cleveland, on his radio show in 1951?

Answer: Rock and Roll

26. The Michigan–Ohio War was an 1830s boundary dispute between Ohio and the territory of Michigan. The dispute hinged on ownership of a strip of land named for what current Ohio city? The conflict ended without any lives lost, and Michigan was given more Upper Peninsula land in exchange for Ohio maintaining ownership of the strip.

Answer: Toledo

27. Private Akron, Ohio high school St. Vincent-St. Mary has a famous 2003 alumnus for whom the school's athletic arena is named. Who is this alum?

Answer: LeBron James

28. As of the 2010 Census, the three largest cities in Ohio by population all begin with the letter C. With what letter does the next most populous city begin?

Answer: T (Toledo)

29. Although they formed in Los Angeles, all the members of what 90s band are from Ohio? Three of them—Jeff Timmons and brothers Nick and Drew Lachey—are from the Cincinnati area.

Answer: 98 Degrees

30. Philip Michael Thomas was born in Columbus 30-something years before his best-known role as Ricardo Tubbs on what sharp-dressed '80s TV crime drama set about 1,200 miles southeast of Ohio?

Answer: Miami Vice

31. Ohio is among a small group of U.S. states that start and end with the same letter. How many other states join Ohio in this category?

Answer: 3 (Alaska, Arizona, Alabama)

32. The official state bird of Ohio is also the state bird of six other states. What is this commonly-chosen flyer?

Answer: Cardinal

33. The deaths of four college students on May 4, 1970 at a school in Ohio became a flashpoint moment in Vietnam War protests. On what school's campus did this tragic event occur?

Answer: Kent State

34. Although Ohio's borders and constitution were approved in 1803 by Thomas Jefferson, due to an oversight official statehood had to be backdated by which U.S. president in 1953?

Answer: Dwight D. Eisenhower

35. Charles Fairbanks, the 26th vice president of the United States, was born in a log cabin just outside Delaware, Ohio in 1852. For what man did this man serve as VP?

Answer: Theodore Roosevelt

36. He and his family moved to Strongsville, Ohio in 1853 and he attended Cleveland's Central High School. Sixty years later, he was considered the richest man in the world and had a fortune worth 2% of the U.S. GDP. Who is this man?

Answer: John D Rockefeller

37. The international airport that serves the city of Cincinnati, Ohio, is located to the southwest of the city, across the Ohio River. In what state is that airport located?

Answer: Kentucky

38. Taking place on the third Thursday after Labor Day each year, what is the name of the harness race for three-year-old standardbreds hosted at the Delaware County Fairgrounds since 1946?

Answer: The Little Brown Jug

39. Named for a professor of mathematics and astronomy at the Ohio Wesleyan University, what structure in Delaware, OH was completed in 1931 and included the 3rd largest mirror in the world?

Answer: Perkins Observatory

40. The City of Delaware operates Delaware Municipal Airport which has an alternate name honoring what local man?

Answer: Jim Moore

41. The tenth longest operating movie theater in the United States is located in downtown Delaware, OH. What is the theater's name?

Answer: The Strand

42. The Arts Castle, home of the Delaware Country Cultural Arts Center, lies on what "seasonal" street in Delaware?

Answer: Winter

43. Founded in 1818 and owned by Ohio Community Media, what morning daily newspaper is considered the dominant community newspaper in Delaware, OH?

Answer: The Delaware Gazette

44. On March 1, 1803 Ohio became the 17th state in the U.S.. Name  the 16th or 18th states, both of which border the Mississippi River.

Answer: Tennessee (16th) and Louisiana (18th)

45. "Stump the Bookseller" is a service in which patrons can submit recollections of a book in hopes that a fellow book-lover can remind them of the title of the book. This service is offered by what legendary bookstore in Cleveland since 1994?

Answer: Loganberry Books

46. The private liberal arts college Antioch College is located in what two-word Ohio city?

Answer: Yellow Springs

47. What famous women's apparel, lingerie, and beauty brand is operated by the L Brands parent company based out of Columbus, Ohio? In addition to its main line, the company operates the popular Pink brand aimed at a younger audience.

Answer: Victoria's Secret

48. What indigenous tribe made the Great Serpent Mound in southwestern Ohio approximately three thousand years ago?

Answer: The Adena People

49. Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman are the two current U.S. Senators from Ohio. Who was the most recent Ohio Senator who wasn't these two men?

Answer: George Voinovich

50. The home stadium of the Cincinnati Bengals is named after what man, who is also the namesake of another Ohio NFL team 220 miles to the northeast?

Answer: Paul Brown (of the Cleveland Browns)

51. Located in historic Over-The-Rhine, Cincinnati, what is the oldest continuously operated public market in Ohio? The market got its “F” name from an early 19th century general and congressman who built a Fort in an Ohio town that now bears his name.

Answer: Findlay Market

52. Short for Covington, Kentucky, CVG is the airport code for what city that isn't actually in Kentucky, but rather across the river in Ohio?

Answer: Cincinnati

53. What Midwestern city, with regional airport code ZZV, has the last airport code in the world alphabetically?

Answer: Zanesville

54. Liability insurance is available from what modern insurance company, known for its humorous commercials and characters, founded by Joseph Lewis and Jack Green with headquarters in Mayfield, Ohio?

Answer: Progressive

55. What waterpark on the Ohio River, in Anderson Township in Cincinnati, shares its name with a residential Brooklyn, NY neighborhood known for its summer amusements?

Answer: Coney Island Park

56. What shopping center in northeastern Columbus, OH, opening in 1999, is designed to look like a self-contained small town of the early to mid 20th century? It shares its name with the middle name of the author of “American Psycho,” Bret Ellis.

Answer: Easton Town Center

57. The Topiary Garden at Old Deaf School Park in Columbus, OH features manicured bushes that are designed to look like characters from what French painter’s 1884 painting “A Sunday Afternoon On The Island Of La Grand Jatte?”

Answer: Georges Seurat

58. What river in Southern and Central Ohio flows through Columbus and collects the Olentangy River before meeting the Ohio River at Portsmouth? Its name is an American Indian word meaning “deer.”

Answer: Scioto River

59. In 2016, Columbus International Airport was officially renamed to honor what astronaut who was the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962?

Answer: John Glenn

60. What “D” park, located near Cincinnati in Covington, KY, offers views of the Cincinnati and the Ohio River Valley along with 700 acres of park land?

Answer: Devou Park

61. Rascal Flatts blew out the 2010 Big Wish Gala in their hometown of Columbus, raising millions for what youth-focused non-profit?

Answer: Make-A-Wish Foundation

62. The Victory Bell is awarded to the winner of the annual matchup between the University of Cincinnati football team and what college in nearby Oxford, OH? It's the oldest non-conference rivalry in the country, but Cincinnati hasn't lost since 2005.

Answer: Miami

63. What U.S. state that borders Lake Erie is named after the river that forms its southern border, which in turn is named for an Iroquois word meaning "great water?"

Answer: Ohio

64. Cleveland's Public Square was the original home of a monumental statue of what hero of the Battle of Lake Erie, which was later moved to Put-in-Bay, Ohio?

Answer: Oliver Hazard Perry

65. At 57 stories high, which skyscraper in Public Square is the tallest building in Ohio?

Answer: Key Tower

66. Founded in Ohio in 1880, which nonprofit in the United States is led by Deaf advocates and is one of the oldest civil rights organizations in the U.S.?

Answer: National Association of the Deaf

67. In what Midwestern state did James Obergefell, named plaintiff in the case that resulted in the Supreme Court recognizing same-sex marriages, live?

Answer: Ohio

68. What president was once an assistant prosecutor for Hamilton County, Ohio? This president had been born in Cincinnati in 1857.

Answer: William Howard Taft

69. Delhi, Ohio has long been known as "The Floral Paradise of Ohio" because it once produced much of the country's crop of what flower, the state flower of Ohio?

Answer: Carnations

70. What river, which branches off of the Ohio at the southwest corner of Hamilton County, begins where Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana meet?

Answer: Great Miami River

71. What frozen food brand started out as a chain of restaurants in the Cleveland, Ohio area? The brand was bought by Nestlé in 1973.

Answer: Stouffer's

72. Which VC firm in Ohio was founded by Mark Kvamme and Chris Olsen in 2013 and you might say helped get Duolingo and Udacity “on the road” to success through their investment?

Answer: Drive Capital

73. In 1974, Marsh Supermarket in Ohio became the first grocery store to put what kind of scannable black and white labels on their products?

Answer: Barcodes

74. Conde Nast identified Old Man's Cave Campground, a picturesque site within Hocking Hills State Park, as the best campground in what U.S. state?

Answer: Ohio

75. In what Ohio city were Kellogg's Pop Tarts originally released in 1964, before going national a year later?

Answer: Cleveland

76. What U.S. president won election by addressing voters from his home in Mentor, Ohio, successfully running what's now considered the first "front porch campaign?"

Answer: James Garfield

77. It makes the top 20 biggest libraries in America on its own, but what Ohio library’s reach became even greater when it teamed up with the Cleveland Public Library in 2003 to create the Greater Access Library Card?

Answer: Cuyahoga County Public Library

78. Name both U.S. states that named their capital city for Christopher Columbus.

Answer: South Carolina (Columbia) and Ohio (Columbus)

79. The second season focused on Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, an American Army soldier charged with desertion. The third season explored cases in the Cleveland area. And the first season won a Peabody Award for innovative long-form nonfiction. What is this podcast series with over 300 million downloads?

Answer: Serial

80. Dave Chappelle lives in the city of Yellow Springs, about which he has been quoted saying: "Turns out you don't need $50 million to live around these parts, just a nice smile and a kind way about you. You guys are the best neighbors ever. That's why I came back and that's why I'm staying." In what Midwestern state is Yellow Springs located?

Answer: Ohio

81. What Midwestern city is associated with a unique style of sauce-like chili that combines sweet with savory spices, and which is typically served over a "coney" hot dog or spaghetti?

Answer: Cincinnati

82. There's a Nike-sponsored athlete that won Super Bowl XLVIII and also played college football at both North Carolina State and Wisconsin. Who is this Ohio-born quarterback?

Answer: Russell Wilson

83. What TWO car brands—neither of which still produces automobiles under their original names—were named for Ohio-born automotive industry pioneer Ransom E. Olds?

Answer: Oldsmobile

84. The Guardians of Traffic are eight iconic statues overlooking the Hope Memorial Bridge in what Midwestern U.S. city?

Answer: Cleveland

85. What American novelist was born in 1931 and is known for her prolific writings including "The Bluest Eye," "Song of Solomon," and "Beloved?" That last book was made into a 1996 movie produced by Oprah Winfrey. This Ohioan won both a Nobel Prize and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Answer: Toni Morrison

86. What city in northeastern Ohio was home to William McKinley and is home to the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

Answer: Canton

87. What is the nickname of retired professional golfer Jack Nicklaus? Its origin goes back to the mascot of his high school in Upper Arlington, Ohio and it is incorporated into his brand's logo.

Answer: The Golden Bear

88. What is the title of the popular book and recent TV series about two families living in 1990s Shaker Heights that opens with a family home catching fire?

Answer: Little Fires Everywhere

89. What “i” Metro Gardens, part of the Columbus Metro Parks system and located in nearby Westerville, OH, is a botanical garden and nature preserve?

Answer: Inniswood Metro Gardens

90. "A Little Devil in America" landed Columbus-native author Hanif Abdurraqib on the shortlist for the NBA, an initialism for what non-basketball-related award?

Answer: National Book Award

91. In 1832, at the age of 21, a member of a prominent religious family moved to Cincinnati to join her father, who had become the president of a theological seminary. Her religious conviction, progressive inclinations, the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act, and the death of her own 18-month-old son were said to be key influences for one of the most influential novels in American history. What is this novel?

Answer: Uncle Tom's Cabin

92. In a September 1920 meeting at the Hupmobile showroom in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Building, the American Professional Football Association was formed. It was later renamed the National Football League. In what Ohio city did this meeting occur?

Answer: Canton

93. Disappointed office seeker Charles Guiteau shot what U.S. President (and native Ohioan) in 1881? Although the wound was not immediately fatal, its subsequent infections resulted in this man's death.

Answer: James Garfield

94. What Ohio State running back is the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner, winning in both 1974 and 1975? This “G” man was the first player to ever start in four Rose Bowls.

Answer: Archie Griffin

95. A futuristic entertainment center, located in Columbus’ Chantry Square, with interactive puzzles and digitally augmented art, is what kind of world? It's an “O” word for a thing that is different from a thing already known.

Answer: Otherworld

96. Since January 14, 2019, Michigan-native Jon Husted has held what political office in Ohio?

Answer: Lieutenant Governor

97. The first permanent settlement in Ohio was named after a female French monarch in 1788. What is the name of this town which has a population of 14,000 as of 2010?

Answer: Marietta

98. What object is officially described in section 5.01 of the Ohio Revised Code (the state's official set of laws and regulations) as "burgee-shaped"?

Answer: State flag

99. Izzy, a teenager from a wealthy family in Shaker Heights, Ohio, runs away to Pittsburgh in what "fiery" 2017 bestseller by Celeste Ng?

Answer: Little Fires Everywhere

100. Headquartered in Milford, Ohio, the ACO is the governing body of what inclined plane sport that evolved out of variations of "parlor quoits" and "Faba Baga"?

Answer: Cornhole

101. Before turning to airplane endeavors, the Wright brothers operated a bicycle repair shop in what Ohio city?

Answer: Dayton

102. The prototype of what toy was developed by Albert Carter, the son of a Cincinnati, Ohio clairvoyant who used a similar device with her clients?

Answer: Magic 8 Ball

103. The Raiders are the official mascot for what Ohio university that participates in the Horizon League for college athletics?

Answer: Wright State University

104. In the late 1950s, 17-year-old Ohioan Bob Heft mailed his local congressman with a suggestion for a new design of what iconic object? The teen's suggestion was ultimately enshrined into law.

Answer: American flag

105. The three largest cities in Ohio by population all start with the letter "C." The fourth largest does not. What is this fourth-largest city in Ohio?

Answer: Toledo

106. Kennesaw Mountain Landis, a Millville, Ohio-born judge and University of Cincinnati alum, served as the first commissioner of what organization?

Answer: Major League Baseball

107. What Ohio town was the location of a major 2023 train derailment, which released 100,000 gallons of toxic materials like vinyl chloride?

Answer: East Palestine

108. Built between 1817 and 1825, what transportation infrastructure caused a boom in shipping between New York City and Ohio?

Answer: Erie Canal

109. What river in Cleveland, Ohio was so polluted that it caught fire multiple times, most notably on June 22, 1969, when the fire caught the attention of the national press in the U.S.?

Answer: Cuyahoga

110. Funded by native son LeBron James and opened in 2018, Akron is home to a public elementary school abbreviated IPS. The school is aimed at helping at-risk children, and the school's motto is "Nothing is given. Everything is earned." What is the name of this school?

Answer: I Promise School

111. After admitting four women as full-time students in 1837, what Ohio college became the first coeducational collegiate institution in the United States?

Answer: Oberlin

112. In 1886, the Standard Oil Trust (the largest manufacturing company in the world) moved to 26 Broadway St after relocating from what Midwestern city?

Answer: Cleveland

113. Seven U.S. presidents were born in Ohio and an eighth is claimed by the state as well because he grew up there (William Henry Harrison). Of these eight total presidents, who most recently served as the leader of the U.S.?

Answer: Warren Harding

114. Congress granted Michigan the Upper Peninsula after a dispute over shoreline with what neighboring state?

Answer: Ohio (Wisconsin was only part of a territory at the time!)

115. Before it was colored, scented, and packaged in little yellow containers, Play-Doh was originally created by Kutol Products of Cincinnati, Ohio to clean what?

Answer: Wallpaper

116. Columbus is the capital of Ohio. What other capital of a US state is closest in distance to Columbus?

Answer: Charleston

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