The entire southern border of Ohio touches the Ohio River. This body of water is 981 miles long, making it the longest branch of the Mississippi River. The Ohio River stretches from the Mississippi River in Missouri to Pittsburgh, where it meets at a confluence with the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers. Throughout its course, this river runs through six states: Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois. Ohio cities on the Ohio River include Bridgeport, Portsmouth and Cincinnati. Shawnee State Forest in southern Ohio also overlooks the river.
One of the five Great Lakes, Lake Erie touches most of the northern border of Ohio. According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Lake Erie is the 12th largest lake in the world and the fourth largest of the Great Lakes at 9,910 square miles. The largest Ohio city on Lake Erie is Cleveland; Ashtabula, Geneva-On-The-Lake and Port Clinton are other Ohio cities on the lake. Lake Erie is approximately 241 miles long and 57 miles at its widest. The other states that border Lake Erie are New York, Pennsylvania and Michigan.
The northern edge of Ohio borders with bays, or water inlets of Lake Erie. The westernmost Lake Erie inlet bay is Maumee Bay. This bay touches the city of Toledo and is the output point of the Maumee River, a 130-mile river that originates near Fort Wayne, Indiana. Maumee Bay State Park, approximately 20 minutes east of Toledo, is also on Maumee Bay. Sandusky Bay touches the north central region of Ohio. The City of Sandusky, Marblehead Peninsula and Cedar Point Amusement Park are on the shores of this bay. East and West Harbors are two inlets of Lake Erie on the north side of the Marblehead Peninsula.
Two lakes touch the eastern border of Ohio, the Shenango River Lake and Pymatuning Reservoir. The larger of the two lakes, Pymatuning, is the northernmost lake and has a total surface area of approximately 17,000 acres; the Shenango River serves as the lake's primary inflow and outflow sources. Shenango River Lake has a surface area of 3,500 acres. Ohio state parks surround both bodies of water. Both of the lakes are man-made and were built for the purpose of flood control.
