Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S. , it is the 7th-most populous with nearly 11.5 million residents. The state's capital is Columbus. The Anglicized name 'Ohio' comes from the Iroquois word ohi-yo’, meaning 'great river'. The state, originally partitioned from the Northwest Territory, was admitted to the Union as the 17th state (and the first under the Northwest Ordinance) on March 1, 1803.