Ohio - a midwestern state that is the seventh-most populous with nearly 11.5 million residents. Ohio's geographic location has proved to be an asset for economic growth and expansion. Because Ohio links the northeast to the midwest, much cargo and business traffic passes through its borders. Columbus is the capital, the largest city in the state, and the 16th largest city in the United States, Greater Cleveland is the largest metropolitan area in Ohio along with the "Greater Cincinnati" metropolitan area that includes counties within Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.