Celina ( ) is a city in Mercer County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. The population was 10,935 at the 2020 census. Located about northwest of Dayton, Celina is situated on the northwestern shores of Grand Lake St. Marys.

History

James Watson Riley established Celina in 1834. The settlement was named after Salina, New York.

By the 1880s, the town had grown significantly, primarily due to the discovery of deposits of oil and natural gas nearby.

The town was hit by a deadly EF3 tornado on May 27, 2019. Numerous homes, building, trees, and power lines and poles were damaged or destroyed. One person was killed and eight others were injured.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Climate

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Celina had a population of 10,935. The median age was 39.4 years. 23.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 92.4 males age 18 and over.

There were 4,593 households in Celina, of which 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 42.8% were married-couple households, 19.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Number !! Percent

|-

| White || 9,715 || 88.8%

|-

| Black or African American || 116 || 1.1%

|-

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 36 || 0.3%

|-

| Asian || 112 || 1.0%

|-

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 399 || 3.6%

|-

| Some other race || 115 || 1.1%

|-

| Two or more races || 442 || 4.0%

|-

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 381 || 3.5%

|}

2010 census

At the 2010 census there were 10,400 people in 4,264 households, including 2,791 families, in the city. The population density was . There were 4,841 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.9% White, 0.5% African American, 0.4% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.8%.

Arts and culture

Celina hosts the annual Freedom Days Picnic in early July in honor of American Independence.

thumb|right|Mercer County Fair Demo Derby

During the last weekend in July, Celina hosts the annual Celina Lake Festival to celebrate Celina's history on Grand Lake St. Marys. The Lake Festival is host to one of the largest Amphicar gatherings in the world. The cars gather on Friday night for a "swim-in".

During the second week in August, Celina is home to the Mercer County Fair and hosts many arts and crafts, livestock, food, rides, and the demolition derby.

Celina hosts the annual Governors Cup Regatta which features hydroplane racing on Grand Lake St. Marys.

Education

Public schools

Celina Public Schools belong to the Celina City School District. The district has three elementary schools, a middle school and a high school.

The district reorganized the grade locations for the 2014 school year. The schools include Celina Primary School (K-2), Celina Elementary School (3–4), Celina Intermediate Elementary School (5–6), Celina Middle School (7–8), and Celina High School (9–12). There is an alternative high school located at the Education Complex.

The Celina-Mercer County Head Start Program is for children in Pre-School. There are two locations in the Celina district where Head Start is located: The Celina City Schools Education Complex and the Celina City Schools Franklin Building.

There are Tri-Star classes located at the Celina High School, the Celina City Schools Education Complex, and the Franklin Building.

Colleges and universities

Wright State University's Lake Campus is located off State Route 703 on 600 Lake Campus Drive in Celina.

  • Wright State University Lake Campus

Libraries

The Mercer County District Library's main library is located at 303 North Main Street in Celina. The district library also has branches in St. Henry, Mendon, and Chickasaw.

Media

thumb|right|Grand Lake

Celina is served by a daily newspaper, The Daily Standard, first published in 1848. It circulates about 10,000 copies a day.

Celina is also served by three local radio stations, WCSM AM and FM and WKKI FM. WCSM-FM broadcasts at 96.7 and plays adult contemporary music. WCSM-AM broadcasts at 1350 and features news, talk, and the Music of Your Life adult standards format. WKKI broadcasts at 94.3 and plays rock.

Notable people

  • Vera Barstow (1891–1975), violinist born in Celina
  • Mike Bath (born 1977), American football player (1997–2000) and interim head coach (2013) at Miami University
  • Galen Cisco, baseball player and coach. Resident of Celina after his career was over.
  • Mindy Cook (born 1988), silver medalist at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in goalball.
  • Rick Derringer (1947–2025), musician
  • Keith Faber (born 1966), 94th President of the Ohio Senate; 33rd Ohio Auditor
  • Tennyson Guyer (1912–1981), Mayor of Celina (1940–44); U.S. House of Representatives (1973–81)
  • Frank Le Blond Kloeb (1890–1976), U.S. House of Representatives (1933–37)
  • Charles Hubert Le Blond (1883–1958) 4th Roman Catholic Bishop of St. Joseph, Missouri (1933–56)
  • Shelly Mars (born 1960), performance artist, actor, and printmaker
  • Wendell Mobley, country music songwriter
  • Jim Otis (born 1948), running back at Ohio State (1967–69), National Football League (1970–79); Pro Bowl (1975)
  • Dan Pifer (born 1972), Head Football Coach at Olivet College
  • Cody Reichard (born 1987), ice hockey player
  • Keven Stammen (born 1985), poker player
  • John W. Sweeterman (1907–1998) publisher of The Washington Post (1961–68)
  • Jackie Tavener (1897–1969), shortstop in Major League Baseball (1921, 1925–29)
  • William E. Tou Velle (1862–1951), U.S. House of Representatives (1907–11)
  • Samuel J. Vining (1864–1914), Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives (1911–13)
  • Mike Wessel (born 1977), mixed martial arts fighter
  • Mildred Wolfe (1912–2009), artist

References

  • City website
  • Mercer County District Library