Defiance, Ohio
Defiance is a city of 17,276 people in Defiance County, Ohio, founded in 1822.
Why visit Defiance
Townapedia lists 6 museums and landmarks, 17 parks and trails, 15 places to eat, 3 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include MovieScoop Northtowne Cinemas, Defiance Public Library, Brooke Site and Fort Defiance.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 85°F; January lows average 18°F, and about 24 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Defiance
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Defiance
Defiance is a city in Defiance County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. The population was 17,066 at the 2020 census. It is located at the confluence of the Auglaize and Maumee rivers about 55 miles (89 km) southwest of Toledo and 47 miles (76 km) northeast of Fort Wayne, Indiana, in Ohio's northwestern corner.
From the Wikipedia article Defiance, Ohio (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks6
Defiance Public Library
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Library in Ohio, United States of America
Brooke Site
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Historical site in Defiance, Ohio, United States
Dey Road Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Bridge in United States of America
East Side Fire Station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Fire station in Defiance, Ohio
Parks, trails and playgrounds17
Fort Defiance
Park · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Former fort in present-day Defiance, Ohio, United States
5 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes15
Cabin Fever Coffee
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.4 mi
1882 South Jefferson Avenue, Defiance
Mo-Fr 06:00-20:00; Sa 07:00-18:00 "Memorial Day through Labor...
Burger King
Fast food · Burger · 1.4 mi
1180 North Clinton Street, Defiance
Mo-Sa 06:00-23:00; Su 07:00-23:00
3 more on the map.
History
The city contains the site of Fort Defiance, built by General "Mad" Anthony Wayne in August 1794 during the Northwest Indian War. Wayne surveyed the land and declared to General Charles Scott, "I defy the English, Indians, and all the devils of hell to take it." Using the fort as a base of operations, Wayne ordered his troops to destroy Native American crops and villages within a radius of 50 miles (80 km) around the fort. Today a pair of cannons outside the city library on the Maumee River overlook the confluence and mark the location of Fort Defiance, along with a mounded outline of the fort walls. The city was named after Fort Defiance.
From Fort Defiance, the U.S. forces moved northeast along the Maumee River to fight the decisive Battle of Fallen Timbers near the current town of Maumee, Ohio. This victory secured for the United States the Northwest Territory, now the states of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin.
Fort Winchester was built on the same spot during the War of 1812, but it was a larger fort that extended southward somewhat along the Auglaize River. Historical plaques in the sidewalks mark the full extent of Fort Winchester.
In 1822, Defiance was laid out as a town. In 1845, it was made the county seat of the newly created county, and it became a city in 1881.
From the History section of Defiance, Ohio on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay3
Churches and places of worship32
Shopping8
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries17
Healthcare3
Map of Defiance
105 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32°F | 18°F | 2.6 in | 8.7 in |
| Feb | 36°F | 20°F | 2.2 in | 8.0 in |
| Mar | 46°F | 28°F | 2.5 in | 2.6 in |
| Apr | 60°F | 38°F | 3.7 in | 0.2 in |
| May | 71°F | 50°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 81°F | 60°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 85°F | 63°F | 3.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 82°F | 62°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 76°F | 54°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 63°F | 43°F | 2.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 49°F | 32°F | 3.0 in | 0.9 in |
| Dec | 37°F | 24°F | 2.5 in | 3.8 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Defiance Hcn (1 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Defiance County has had 5 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for biologicals.
- 2020-03-31: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2012-06-30: Severe Storms (Severe Storm)
- 2005-09-13: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
- 2004-09-19: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Defiance Memorial Airport (DFI) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 5 miles away.
- Van Wert 31 mi south, about 49 min by car
- Bowling Green 38 mi east, about 1 h by car
- Lima 40 mi south, about 1 h by car
- Findlay 41 mi southeast, about 1 h by car
- Perrysburg 41 mi northeast, about 1 h by car
- Maumee 41 mi northeast, about 1 h by car
- Fort Wayne 43 mi west, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Sylvania 45 mi northeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Toledo 48 mi northeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Fostoria 50 mi east, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Defiance, Ohio United States Post Office 1, WMrapids, CC0
- Defiance Public Library, Nyttend, Public domain
- Ravine at the Brooke Site, Nyttend, Public domain
- Fort Defiance, overview from south, Nyttend, Public domain
- East Side Fire Station in Defiance, Nyttend, Public domain
- Eastern end of the Dey Road Bridge, Nyttend, Public domain
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