CINCINNATI, a city and county-seat of Hamilton co., O.; the second city in the State in population and the sixteenth in the United States, according to the census of 1920. It is built on the N. shore of the Ohio river, directly opposite Covington, Ky., is known as the "Queen City of the West"; and is connected with the Kentucky shore by five bridges; area, 35% square miles; pop. (1890) 296,908; (1900) 325,902; (1910) 363,463; (1920) 401,247.
Cincinnati occupies two plateaux, 400 by 500 feet above sea-level, surrounded by a semi-circular chain of hills. The surface slopes from the water-front to some points where it reaches an ex treme altitude of 900 feet. The high land portions are cut by deep ravines, adding much to the beauty of the city, and commanding interesting views of the surrounding country. The streets in the older portion of the city cross each other at right angles and average 65 feet in width, and those in the modern section are arranged according to the surface conditions. The buildings are mostly of freestone, brick, and bluestone, found within or near the city.
Cincinnati is served by 19 railroads— a greater number than any other city along the Ohio river. It is the northern terminus of the Louisville and Nashville railroad and the Cincinnati Southern railway, now operated as a part of the Southern railway system, and other rail roads serving northern territory. It is one of the important junction points of the Baltimore & Ohio, the Chesapeake & Ohio, and other railroads, connecting the South with New York, Philadelphia, and other eastern seaports, and south eastern seaports. It is also a terminal of the railroads which carry the bulk of the trade from the North Central States to the South. The average daily inbound tonnage in Cincinnati is 105,000 tons, and the average daily outbound is 100, 000. 110 inbound freight trains reach the city daily, and 112 leave the city. 154 passenger trains daily reach the city, and 140 leave it. Cincinnati is the only city in the United States owning a steam railroad, the Cincinnati Southern, which is 338 miles long, extending through Kentucky and Tennessee to Chattanooga.
It is now operated as a part of the Southern railway system. The Cincin nati Southern brings a large revenue to the city, and provides prompt and ade quate service to the entire South. There is one street railway system for the en tire city. It has 230 miles of track. The company has about 3,000 employees. The average daily car mileage is 70, 000, and approximately 160,000,000 pas sengers are carried annually.
Cincinnati is the most southern north ern city and the most northern southern city in the United States. This combina tion causes several peculiarities, which give the city a noteworthy individuality. One of the distinctive features of Cincin nati is its origin in a great number of independent communities or villages, each occupying its own hill top or valley, and separated from its neighbors by topo graphical conditions peculiar to the lo cality. Several dozen of the former vil lages are now a part of the city, includ ing Clifton, Mt. Auburn, Walnut Hills, Price Hill, Westwood, Hyde Park, Evans ton, Pleasant Ridge, Cumminsville, Brighton, Columbia, and others. An in heritance from this condition of separate communities is the large number—about 40 or more—of local improvement asso ciations which formulate and express public opinion. Cincinnati is distinctly American. In Cincinnati proper the pro portion of foreign born to native born is smaller than for any other large Ameri can city. Practically 80 per cent. of the population is native born. Cincinnati is also the only large American city in which the percentage of foreign born has tended to decrease. It is a city of beauti ful homes and stately buildings. St. Peter's Cathedral is one of the most picturesque and beautiful structures in the Western States. There are also St. Francis de Sales Church, Rockdale Tem ple (Jewish), the new Court House, and the most imposing of Cincinnati build ings, the Union Central. The City Hall is constructed of granite and Amherst stone. The tower is 32 feet square and 250 feet high. The Government Build ing and Custom House is a magnifi cent granite structure costing over $6, 000,000.