Kettering, Ohio, United States

🇺🇸 Kettering is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States. It is an inner suburb of Dayton, Ohio. It is the largest suburb in the Dayton metropolitan area.

History The area where the city of Kettering now lies was settled from the late 1700s to the mid-1800s, largely as farmland. The population in the area started to grow, prompting the creation of (now defunct) Van Buren Township in 1841. In November 1952, township voters approved incorporating as the Village of Kettering. (In 1953, the western portion of the village voted to secede, forming a new township, which is now the City of Moraine). By 1955, the village's population had grown to 38,118, which qualified it to claim city status, with the official proclamation by the state on June 24. The city is named for inventor Charles F. Kettering, who resided here in his home, Ridgeleigh Terrace, from 1914 until his death in 1958. Charles Kettering is known for his numerous inventions and contributions to Metro Dayton.

From the 1950s to the 1970s, Kettering's population continued to grow, adding more than 30,000 residents. This growth was due in part to the many people who started migrating out of nearby Dayton after World War II. Since the 1980s, Kettering has experienced a slow decline in population due to an aging population and loss of manufacturing jobs.

Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.42 square miles (42.53 km²), of which 18.68 square miles (48.38 km²) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km²) is water.

The city is bordered by Dayton, Riverside, and Oakwood to the north; West Carrollton and Moraine to the west; Miami Township to the southwest; Centerville and Washington Township to the south; and Beavercreek and Sugarcreek Township to the east.

City services

The Kettering Fire Department is responsible for fire protection in the city. The department has a total of six operational stations and is staffed by 54 career and 50 volunteer firefighters. The fire department is currently undergoing a transformation to reduce the number of stations to five. One station is currently being built on Far Hills Avenue, one will be located on the corner of East David Road and Hempstead Station Drive. The three others are in the planning stage.

Police protection is provided by the Kettering Police Department which comprises 83 sworn officers. The police department is the only agency of its size with dual accreditation from both the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies and the Commission on Accreditation for Corrections.

Education The Kettering City School District includes Kettering Fairmont High School, two middle schools (Van Buren and Kettering), and eight elementary schools (Beavertown, Greenmont, Indian Riffle, J.E. Prass, J.F. Kennedy, Oakview, Orchard Park, and Southdale).

On the 2009–2010 Ohio report card, Kettering schools met all 26 state standards in testing, attendance and graduation rates earning the state's highest category, Excellent with Distinction.

Kettering is also home to several private schools—Alexandria Montessori School, Archbishop Alter High School, Ascension School, Emmanuel Christian Academy, St. Albert The Great School, and St. Charles Borromeo School.

Kettering College offers two-year and four-year degrees in several disciplines including Nursing, Sonography, Radiology Technology, Respiratory Therapy, and Human Biology; with a Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) and an Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD).

The Modern College of Design offers two-year degrees in graphic design.

The international headquarters of the Driving Schools Association of the Americas (DSAA) is located in Kettering. The DSAA is one of the largest organizations in the world for the education of vehicle drivers and plays a significant educational role in improving road safety.

Kettering has two public libraries, both branches of the Dayton Metro Library.

Recreation Kettering has 20 parks totaling 284 acres (1.15 km²) and is home to the Fraze Pavilion, a major outdoor entertainment venue that also hosts the summer concerts of the Dayton Philharmonic.

The James S. Trent Arena, which opened in 2005, has a seating capacity of 4,400 overall as well as 3,650 for championship sporting events, and it is located on the campus of Fairmont High School.

Skate Plaza, a 40,000-square-foot (3,700 m²) skateboard park that opened in 2005, was a collaboration between the City of Kettering and Rob Dyrdek, a professional skateboarder who grew up in Kettering.

Rosewood Arts Center, formerly an elementary school, now hosts 100,000 visitors a year with art classes, exhibitions, an art gallery and the Art on the Commons festival.

The Town and Country Shopping Center is a small, partly enclosed and part open-air, mall located in the heart of Kettering near the intersection of Far Hills Ave. and Stroop Rd.

Pondview Park is a self-guided environmental park for people to go experience nature. The park has trails, 6 ponds, a butterfly garden, and many scenic opportunities, for all kinds of people to come and learn about nature.