Contentious issue I know, but recently I’ve encountered a number of people who believe that Ohio (and sometimes Indiana and Michigan) is not truly part of the Midwest. Which to me is preposterous since I’ve always considered Ohio the most quintessentially Midwestern state. Midwest to me has always been very nearly synonymous with rust belt, but it seems there are a fair number of people who place the Midwest more in what I’d call the Great Plains, or Greater Minnesota. So I’m wondering where do you all place the Midwest.
Those people are perhaps just minnesotans, I think. Also minnesotans actually already use that exact term inside MN because people who aren’t from the twin cities get offended when referred to as “outstate” or “rural” minnesota.
I’ve taken to calling that area, (MN, WI, IA, MI, maybe a couple more if I’m feeling generous) Upper Midwest so as to not confuse anyone who thinks ohio is the epitome of midwest. The only time I’ve really spent in Ohio was in steubenville of all places so maybe that’s partly why I don’t think of Ohio as being particularly midwestern.
yeah there’s absolutely an appalachian/western pennsylvania part of ohio that I wouldn’t necessarily consider ‘midwest’.
I’ve been to Youngstown (far east OH) and it felt Midwestern. Are you talking SE OH?
Oh hey I’ve been to Wheeling, WV and that also felt Midwestern. So to me Ohio = Midwest.