By Kevin Williams
Lima, Ohio — not the most glamorous subject, but worth a closer look.
Located on I-75, Lima sits along one of the country’s busiest corridors, so many travelers are likely familiar with it even if they don’t stop. With a population of about 37,000, it reads statistically as a small city, but its isolation on the west-central Ohio plains gives it a distinctive character. The nearest sizable cities are roughly 100 miles away in either direction, so Lima has developed a self-reliant, scrappy personality. For the most part you can find whatever you need there — with the occasional exception. On one trip we bought a wedding gift card to Target only to discover that Lima has no Target. A practical reminder that small-city conveniences vary.
The TV show Glee set its fictional high school in Lima, which always struck me as fanciful. That depiction didn’t line up with what I’ve observed; the show’s portrayal of a highly progressive high school feels unlikely for Lima, or for much of the surrounding region. It’s not a criticism of the city so much as a note about how television often molds places into something more stylized than reality.
Lima has an edge to it. A gritty urban core gives way to residential neighborhoods and then to farmland, creating a distinct transition from city to country. For generations a tank company operated on the town’s outskirts, contributing to a local identity tied to manufacturing and military production. That industrial history is part of what shapes Lima’s atmosphere.
Despite its size, Lima supports local media and dining scenes. The city has its own TV station — I appeared on it years ago to discuss an Amish cookbook — and a beloved local chain of diners called Kewpee Burgers. Kewpee is a local institution; if a television show were aiming for authenticity, including places like that would have helped. Instead, fictionalized venues replaced real landmarks in Glee’s version of the city.
The Lima News once served as a powerful regional voice across a dozen counties. Like many local papers, it has contracted over the years and now focuses more narrowly on the city. This shift mirrors a nationwide pattern of shrinking local journalism, which has affected communities across the country.
A handful of “mini skyscrapers” dot downtown Lima’s urban core.
A beautiful downtown church; the electric wires are an unfortunate distraction.
My wedding meal — the pasta stood out as the highlight.
Small cities like Lima often surprise visitors who expect monotony. While it may lack some big-city amenities, Lima’s mix of local institutions, industrial heritage, and community-oriented life give it personality. Whether you pass through on I-75 or spend time exploring its streets, the city offers a slice of Midwestern life shaped by history, resilience, and the practicalities of life beyond major metropolitan centers.