Hamilton County Apartments for Rent

Hamilton County, located in the southwest corner of Ohio, enjoys a booming population of 802,374; in fact, Hamilton is the third most-populous county in Ohio.

Early settlers traveled down the Ohio River to this area by flatboat and in 1788 founded Losantiville, soon renamed Cincinnati. Hamilton County, established in 1790, was named for Alexander Hamilton and predated Ohio statehood by over 12 years.

Development of Hamilton County took place mainly in Cincinnati, which became a booming river town nicknamed “the Queen City of the West” as river barges and steamboats brought in new settlers. They soon branched out from the crowded riverfront area to form new towns, many of which later became part of Cincinnati.

Why the name “Queen City?” These early citizens, proud of their city, referred to Cincinnati as such; in 1819, Ed. B. Cooke wrote in the Inquisitor and Cincinnati Advertiser, “The City is, indeed, justly styled the fair Queen of the West: distinguished for order, enterprise, public spirit, and liberality, she stands the wonder of an admiring world.” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem, Catawba Wine, also echoes the nickname, as he memorializes the city’s vineyards. It reads, in part:

And this Song of the Vine,
This greeting of mine,
The winds and the birds shall deliver,
To the Queen of the West,
In her garlands dressed,
On the banks of the Beautiful River.

Hamilton County lies in a region of gentle hills formed by the slopes of the Ohio River valley. The county’s national protected area is William Howard Taft National Historic Site. It operates 21 parks, spanning more than 16,000 acres of green space, which offer golf, fishing, camping, paddling, picnicking and hiking.

The Hamilton County Parks Foundation, a charitable organization, assists in protecting and enhancing regional parkland and providing outstanding outdoor recreation and nature education services. It also offers scheduled events, including Murder Mystery Dinners at the golf course banquet hall, featuring outrageous storylines, plenty of laughs and audience participation as guests try to guess the identity of the murderer.

In just a few short years, the Foundation has raised funds to support educational presentations, scholarships for underprivileged youth to attend Park District programs, and is currently raising money to construct the largest dog park in the region at Miami Whitewater Forest.