Sidney is a city in Shelby County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. The population was 20,589 at the 2020 census. It is approximately north of Dayton and south of Toledo, and is a part of the Dayton metropolitan area. The city is named after English poet Philip Sidney, and many of Sidney's elementary schools are named after famous writers, including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and John Greenleaf Whittier. Sidney was the recipient of the 1964 All-America City Award. In 2009, it was the subject of the documentary film 45365.
History
thumb|left|The 1918 Thrift Building, home to the [[People's Federal Savings and Loan Association, is a 20th-century icon. Its oversized arch is a signature element of its architect Louis Sullivan, who was mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright.]]
Sidney, named after Sir Philip Sidney, a well-known poet and member of British Parliament, was originally a parcel of land located along the west side of the Great Miami River. This land was donated by Charles Starrett to be used as the site of a new town designated to be the county seat of Shelby County. The area around Sidney was once the richly forested hunting ground of the Shawnee and Miami Indian nations. This fertile area was developed as agricultural lands over time.
The construction of the Miami-Erie Canal between 1825 and 1837 connected Sidney in a north–south direction with the major trade centers in Ohio. In addition to opening the first significant "outside" trade for Sidney, the construction of the canal attracted an influx of settlers to the area. From the 1840s to 1913, canal boats carried Shelby County's products to Cincinnati or Toledo. Sidney was crossed by the Miami and Erie Canal's Sidney or Port Jefferson Feeder Branch. Before railroads came to Sidney, the canal provided most transportation, as roads were unpaved and not usable in all seasons. Part of the canal remains south of Water Street.
As the influence of the canal declined, another transportation element, railroads, began to develop in Sidney. East–west rail began to be laid in 1851, followed by north–south rail in 1856. Sidney is still served by these railroad lines.
In the 1950s, the Interstate Highway contributed to the development of Sidney. It was named as "All-America City" in 1964. Today, Interstate 75 connects Sidney with Canada to the north, and Florida to the south. Sidney has four interchanges with Interstate 75, providing access for both commercial and industrial users.
Sidney has an extensive parks and recreation system. When the city's first comprehensive plan was being developed in the mid-1950s, the city decided to have a park or recreation area within a half-mile of every residence. This goal has resulted in a system of 14 neighborhood parks, a baseball complex, softball complex, soccer complex, municipal swimming pool, and the Tawawa Park, a nature and picnic area.
Sidney is the hometown of Paul Lauterbur, a renowned scientist and Nobel Prize winner who helped develop the MRI.
In 1984, President Ronald Reagan visited the city of Sidney on a train (the same train that President Franklin D. Roosevelt used during his visit to Sidney in 1944) while touring the country. President George W. Bush visited the town in 2004, eating at the Spot Restaurant in downtown Sidney. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney visited the Shelby County Fairgrounds in Sidney in 2012.
Sidney, Iowa, derives its name from the community.
The town of Buckeye, Arizona, was originally named after Sidney. Malin M. Jackson, who built Arizona's Buckeye Canal, was from Sidney.
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, Sidney had a population of 20,589. The median age was 38.7 years, 24.7% of residents were under the age of 18, and 17.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.3 males age 18 and over.
There were 8,535 households in Sidney, of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 40.7% were married-couple households, 20.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 30.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| White || 17,749 || 86.2%
|-
| Black or African American || 722 || 3.5%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 57 || 0.3%
|-
| Asian || 375 || 1.8%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 24 || 0.1%
|-
| Some other race || 312 || 1.5%
|-
| Two or more races || 1,350 || 6.6%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 516 || 2.5%
|}
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 21,229 people, 8,344 households, and 5,577 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 9,265 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 90.3% White, 3.7% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 0.8% from other races, and 3.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.2% of the population.
There were 8,344 households, of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.7% were married couples living together, 15.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.2% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.01.
The median age in the city was 36.1 years. 27.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.6% were from 25 to 44; 26.2% were from 45 to 64; and 12.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.1% male and 50.9% female.
2000 census
As of the census with more than 1,700 employees. In addition to the Sidney-based employers, Honda of America Anna engine plant, 7 miles north of Sidney, is the single largest employer in Shelby County, with 3,200 employees. Steve Wagner, Vice Mayor (Fourth Ward), Joe Moniaci (Second Ward), Scott Roddy (Third Ward), Mardie Milligan (First Ward), Cory Huelskamp (at-large), and Jenny VanMatre (at-large).
The city council appoints a professional manager to oversee the administrative operations, implement its objectives, and advise it on all related matters. The manager position is similar to that of a corporate chief executive officer (CEO), providing professional management to the board of directors. The current City Manager is Andrew Bowsher, who was appointed in September 2021. He is the 14th City Manager to serve the City of Sidney.
Education
Sidney City School District operates four elementary schools, one middle school, and Sidney High School. Lehman Catholic High School, affiliated with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati, and Sidney Christian Academy are also located within the city.
Sidney has a public library named Amos Memorial Library, a branch of Shelby County Libraries.
Media
- The Sidney Daily News is published each day of the week except Sunday and Tuesday.
- WMVR-FM broadcasts hot adult contemporary programming on Hits 105.5 FM.
- Scores Broadcast a webcaster offering live high school sports coverage www.scoresbroadcast.com
- KLOVE 94.1 FM (translator W231AZ)
- WHJM 88.7 FM "Radio Maria"
- The Sidney Ohio News Blog The Newest form of news publication in Sidney Ohio.
Transportation
Air
thumb|Aerial view of the Sidney Municipal Airport from the east
Sidney is served by the Sidney Municipal Airport. Dayton International Airport is south while John Glenn Columbus International Airport which serves Central Ohio is east.
Rail
Sidney has active two railroad lines. Both were built independently in the 1850s.
Until the 1960s, passengers could take the Knickerbocker Limited from Sidney to Grand Central Terminal in New York City. This east–west line was built as the Bellefontaine and Indiana Railroad which ran from Galion, Ohio to Union City on the Ohio-Indiana border. It was built in conjunction with the Indianapolis and Bellefontaine Railroad, providing a route between Cleveland and the East and Indianapolis, and later St. Louis. In 1864, the two were merged into the "Bee" Line: the Bellefontaine Railway. In 1869, the lines were merged into the first "Big Four": the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Indianapolis Railway. In 1889, the second "Big Four" was formed: the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway. In the early 1920s, this railroad relocated its tracks from downtown Sidney to the south edge of the city over the new Big Four concrete arch bridge. Early in the twentieth century, it was leased by the New York Central System. Later the Big Four was taken over by the Penn Central, then Conrail, and finally CSX Transportation.
Other concrete arch bridges in the region were designed and built for the Big Four; they are located in Avon and Greencastle, Indiana, and Danville, Illinois.
In the 1950s, passengers could board a train in Sidney and take it south to Cincinnati or New Orleans. This north–south line was built as the Dayton and Michigan Railroad. In the 1860s it was leased by the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railroad. It was taken over by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad early in the twentieth century. Later the line was taken over by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, then by CSX Transportation, and passenger services were reduced.
Highway system
The Dixie Highway, later US 25, now known as County Rd 25A, ran north–south through downtown Sidney, connecting it with Toledo and Detroit to the north and Dayton and Cincinnati to the south. Interstate 75 was completed in the early '60s. Located west of Sidney, it took the place of the Dixie Highway and most of the traffic. Four exits from I-75 provide direct access to Sidney: exit 90 (Fair Road), exit 92 (State Route 47), exit 93 (State Route 29), and exit 94 (County Road 25A).
Notable people
- John Adams, former member of the Ohio House of Representatives
- Craig Clemons, retired NFL player
- Warren Davidson, member of the U.S. House of Representatives
- George Clyde Fisher, museum curator
- Dick Flanagan, NFL center
- Warren A. Haggott, congressman from Colorado
- Thomas Hazzard, football player and coach, minister, farmer, missionary, and riveter
- Richard Hodges, politician
- John Foley Horr, Civil War captain
- Marie Agnes H. Hyde, artist
- Brandon Knupp, stock racing driver
- Paul Lauterbur, chemist and Nobel Prize laureate
- Dale Locker, former member of the Ohio House of Representatives
- Joey Long, former Major League Baseball pitcher for San Diego Padres
- Louis Mackey, philosopher, Kierkegaard scholar, literary critic
- George Alexander Marshall, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio's 4th district
- Bruce Moon, art therapist and psychologist
- James Murray, 7th Ohio Attorney General
- Richard Pefferle, set decorator
- J. Edward Russell, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio's 4th district
- Rick Stockstill, head football coach at Middle Tennessee