Mahoning Valley


The Youngstown–Warren, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area, typically known as the Mahoning Valley, is a metropolitan area in Northeast Ohio with Youngstown, Ohio, at its center. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the metropolitan statistical area includes [Mahoning List of counties in Ohio|County, Ohio|Mahoning] and Trumbull counties. As of the 2020 census, the region had a population of 430,591, making it the 125th-largest metro area in the country.
Taking its name from the Mahoning River, the area has a large commuter population that works in Cleveland and Pittsburgh and their metropolitan areas. It is located in the Rust Belt, the former industrial region of the northern United States. The Youngstown–Warren–Salem combined statistical area adds the Salem micropolitan area and Columbiana County, Ohio to the region, increasing the total population to 532,468. The Youngstown–Warren media market serves all three counties in the CSA, as well as the Pennsylvania counties of Mercer and Lawrence.

Steel industry

Although steel has been produced in the Mahoning Valley since the mid-1800s, after the Civil War, the valley was primarily known for its iron production. Conversion to steel manufacturing began during the economic depression of the 1890s. The Mahoning Valley is suitable for steel manufacture because of "its proximity to the Lake Erie ports that receive iron ore…the coal fields of Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia; and to limestone deposits." The "25-mile stretch of steel mills and related industries" along the Mahoning River is similar to the Ruhr Valley in Germany." Historically, it was part of the largest steel producing region in the world, leading to the historical "Steel Valley" moniker that the area shared with the Pittsburgh metropolitan area.
The local steel industry declined during the 1970s steel crisis. A notable plant closure occurred on September 19, 1977, when Youngstown Sheet and Tube abruptly closed its Campbell Works and furloughed 5,000 workers. Today the area produces little steel, and is home to many scrap metal yards and aluminum plants. A 2009 documentary, Steel Valley: Meltdown, addresses "the past, present and future of the Mahoning Valley" through the eyes of local experts, including one local organizer who stated, "We are the first generation completely removed from the days when steel mills were active."
The Mahoning Valley Economic Development Corporation, founded in 1979, is active in economic revitalization and diversification. It owns two industrial parks, and has purchased local rail lines, including the Youngstown and Austintown Railroad and the Trumbull Railroad.

Municipalities

Cities and villages

Mahoning County
Trumbull County
Columbiana County

Townships

Mahoning County
Trumbull County
Columbiana County

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 602,978 people, 238,319 households, and 162,896 families residing within the MSA, which included Mercer County, Pennsylvania. The racial makeup of the MSA was 86.88% White, 10.78% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.55% from other races, and 1.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.70% of the population.
The median income for a household in the MSA was $36,071, and the median income for a family was $44,055. Males had a median income of $35,626 versus $23,186 for females. The per capita income for the MSA was $18,547.
In July 2023, Mercer County, Pennsylvania was removed from the Youngstown–Warren MSA, renamed the Hermitage, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area and attached to the Pittsburgh-Weirton-Steubenville, PA-OH-WV CSA.
County2020 Census2010 CensusChangeAreaDensity
Mahoning County--
Trumbull County--
Columbiana County--

Transportation

Airports

The Youngstown–Warren area is served by one regional airport:
The area is also served by several county and local airports, including:

Major highways

Youngstown is directly served by I-680, which connects the city with Interstate 80, Interstate 76, and State Route 11. I-680 begins at a junction with I-80 and SR 11, the start of the latter two routes' concurrency, in Austintown Township. Traveling southeast, I-680 passes through Youngstown, exiting southward from the city. After running through south suburban communities, it reaches its terminus at the Ohio Turnpike in Beaver Township. The SR 711 freeway begins at a junction with I-680 in Youngstown and runs northeast and north out of the city and Mahoning County before terminating at a junction with I-80 and SR 11, the end of the latter two routes' concurrency, in Liberty Township. In addition to non-freeway sections of US 62, US 422, SR 7 and SR 193, state routes SR 170, SR 289, SR 616 and SR 625 serve the city.
The Ohio Turnpike passes to the west and south of Youngstown. Coming from the Cleveland area to the northwest, the turnpike carries Interstate 80. In Jackson Township, Mahoning County, approximately west of Downtown Youngstown, the turnpike has a junction with I-76 and the two interstates swap rights-of-way; the turnpike continues to the southeast as I-76, on its way toward Pittsburgh. I-80 continues east, passing north of Youngstown, then crosses the Pennsylvania state line. Just into Pennsylvania, I-80 has a junction with Interstate 376, providing another connection to Pittsburgh.
Ohio State Route 11, a north–south freeway, runs to the west of Youngstown, joins a concurrency with I-80, traveling near the northwest of the city, then leaves the concurrency heading north; at some points SR 11 is no more than from the city limits. The route runs south to East Liverpool on the Ohio River; running north, it passes close to Niles and Warren before reaching I-90 in northeast Ohio, finally terminating in Ashtabula at Lake Erie.

Public transit

The Western Reserve Transit Authority operates a metropolitan public busing system in Mahoning and Trumbull counties. In Columbiana County, the Community Action Rural Transit System operates a rural public busing system.

Colleges and universities

The Mahoning Valley is home to a number of higher education facilities, including:

Sports

ClubSportLeague VenueLocation
Mahoning Valley ScrappersBaseballCollegiate summer baseballEastwood FieldNiles
Youngstown Area Roller DerbyRoller derbyWomen's Flat Track Derby AssociationvariousYoungstown
Youngstown NighthawksIndoor soccerMajor Arena Soccer League 3Farmer Jim's Sports ComplexCortland
Youngstown PhantomsIce hockeyUnited States Hockey LeagueCovelli CentreYoungstown
Youngstown State University PenguinsvariousNCAA various, including Stambaugh StadiumYoungstown

NCAA Division I sports are played in the region, with Youngstown State University fielding eight men's and ten women's teams.

Media

Print

The area is served mainly by zoned editions of The Vindicator out of Youngstown and the Tribune Chronicle in Warren. They are published together in broadsheet at the Tribune Chronicle in Warren. The two newspapers, along with the, Lisbon-based Morning Journal, were independent until in June 2019 it was announced that The Vindicator would cease publication by mid-August of the same year. Although this newspaper carries the name of the old Vindicator, its scope is comparatively limited, with the majority of previous Vindicator journalists not being carried over to the new edition.
Other newspapers that print in Youngstown include bi-monthly The Business Journal, The Metro Monthly, and the bi-weekly The Jambar, published by the students of Youngstown State University on Tuesdays and Thursdays while classes are in session.

TV

Mahoning Valley is part of the Youngstown media market, which includes Trumbull, Mahoning, and Columbiana counties in Ohio and Mercer County in Pennsylvania. As of 2024–25, with 263,000 television households, the Youngstown market is the nation's 118th largest, according to Nielsen Media Research.
The market is served is served by four full power television stations. including WFMJ-TV, WKBN-TV, WYTV, and WNEO channel 45.
Low power station WYFX-LD channel 62 serves as Youngstown's Fox affiliate, and is simulcast on WKBN 27.2.

Radio

The following stations are part of the Youngstown media market:

AM

FM