Electricity Rates in Ada, OH

History of Ada

Following the 1817 Treaty of Fort Meigs, the Shawnee Indians held reservation land at Hog Creek near Ada. Ada itself was originally called Johnstown, platted in 1853 by S. M. Johnson when the railroad was extended to that point. When a post office was established it was called Ada Post Office, named after the postmaster's daughter, Ada. The post office has been in operation since 1854.The growth of the village is due in large part to the founding of the Ohio Normal School, now known as Ohio Northern University. The university was founded in 1871 by Henry Solomon Lehr, just eighteen years after Ada was first settled. Today, Ada is the second largest incorporated community in Hardin County.In 1910, President William Howard Taft visited Ada, to give the fall commencement speech at Ohio Northern University. To date, Taft is the only president to visit the village. Ada welcomed Martin Luther King Jr. to the village in January 1968, just three months before his assassination.In February 2026, the local Italian restaurant Viva Maria caught fire, devastating the building, the apartments above, and business beside it, The Cask Room. The cause of the fire has not been determined yet as investigations are ongoing.Ada has been noted for having one of the shortest place names in Ohio. The National Arbor Day Foundation has qualified Ada as a Tree City USA since 1981.

Ada by the Numbers

Population

7,345

Median Age

23.6 yrs

Median Household Income

$59,065/yr

Median Home Value

$157,500

Homeownership Rate

65%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)