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Ohio's topography consists of rolling plains for the most part. In the north, Ohio
borders Lake Erie. The Lake Erie Plains, part of the Great Lakes Plains, extend
southward from the lake into Ohio. The Allegheny Plateau is located in the east.
The Central or Till Plains cover the western portion of the state.
The Great Lakes Plains: In the north, where Ohio borders Lake Erie, the
land takes on the characteristics of the Great Lakes Plains. The Great Lakes Plains
run along the Great Lakes from Wisconsin to Ohio. In northeast Ohio, the Great Lakes
Plains, referred to as the Lake Erie Plains along Lake Erie, expand about ten miles
south into Ohio from the banks of the lake. This fertile lowland widens as it
rolls west until it is more than fifty miles wide in the Maumee Valley.
The Till Plains: In western Ohio, south of the Lake Erie Plains,
the Till Plains make their appearance. The Till Plains, with originations in
Ohio, expand westward. This gently rolling landscape, interrupted by
hills, is one of the most fertile farming regions in the United States. The Till
Plains mark the beginning of the Corn Belt.
One of the hills, Campbell Hill in Logan County, happens to be the highest point
in Ohio; 1,550 feet above sea level. From this high point, the land gradually
slopes downward toward the southwestern corner of the state and the lowest point
in Ohio, the Ohio River.
The Appalachian Plateau: The Appalachian or Allegheny Plateau covers
the eastern half of Ohio, south of the Lake Erie Plains. The northern part of
the Appalachian Plateau consists of rolling hills and valleys. The southern two
thirds of the Appalachian Plateau consists of steep hills and valleys and is the
most rugged area in the state. The soil is thin; not very fertile. This portion
of the state is blessed with beautiful scenery and Ohio's most abundant mineral
deposits.
The Bluegrass Region This region, spilling north from Kentucky, consists
of hilly and gently rolling land. The Bluegrass region comprises a small, triangular
area of land in southern Ohio. The soil is thin and not particularly fertile.
Lake Erie Shoreline: The Ohio shoreline lines 312 miles of Lake Erie;
from Conneaut in the east to Toledo in the west. The eastern shoreline consists
of ten to eighteen foot clay bluffs. The wester shoreline consists of beaches
of clay and sand.
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