Ohio’s getting its first total eclipse in 200 years. Here’s what you need to know

By: Nick Evans –

One week from today, more than half of Ohio is going to stop whatever it’s doing and spend a few minutes looking into the sky. The April 8 eclipse cuts a line from rural Darke County to the Cleveland suburbs, sweeping Dayton, Lima, Akron and Sandusky into the path of totality.

Eclipses themselves aren’t all that rare. A total eclipse is visible from somewhere on earth about every other year. But when you start getting specific about location they can be a bit harder to come by. In his executive order laying out Ohio’s preparations, Gov. Mike DeWine noted just “21 solar eclipses have crossed the lower 48 states during the existence of the United States of America.”

The last time it happened in Ohio was in 1806. If you miss this year’s, you’re going to be waiting until 2099.

With that in mind, state agencies are mobilizing resources for a wave of visitors, and local businesses or attractions are planning events.

Where to see it

The centerline of the eclipse runs through nine counties and another 26 sit in the path of totality. State tourism officials have set up an interactive website to find eclipse events by county.

In Auglaize County, Wapakoneta’s Armstrong Air & Space Museum is extending its hours, hosting special events over the weekend ahead of time and an eclipse viewing outside on its pavilion. The city, perhaps best known as the birthplace of Neil Armstrong, is expecting to see its population of about 10,000 double or triple over the weekend.

Museum curator and communications director Logan Rex said they started planning after a 2017 eclipse that skipped Ohio but ran from the Pacific Northwest to the Southeast.

“In the beginning we started talking to other museums that were in the line of totality, seeing what they did right, seeing any advice they could give us,” he described.