The Enquirer’s Just Askin’ series aims to answer the questions that no one seems to have an answer for, except maybe Google.
Fellow Ohioans could probably tell you the nickname of their state (the Buckeye State) or even the official bird (the cardinal). But could they tell you the official insect or the official artifact?
Since the early 1900s, lawmakers in the U.S. have designated specific symbols to represent the unique characteristics of their state.
Question: What are Ohio’s official state symbols?
Here’s Ohio’s list, according to Ohio.gov:
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State Flag: The Ohio Burgee, adopted in 1902.
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Coat of Arms: Depicts a sunrise over mountains, a river and a field, adopted in 1996.
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State Seal: Consists of the coat of arms within a circle with the words “THE GREAT SEAL OF THE STATE OF OHIO,” adopted in 1996.
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State Motto: “With God All Things Are Possible,” adopted in 1959.
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State Slogan: “Ohio, The Heart of it All,” adopted in 1984, reinstated in 2023.
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State Capital and Capital Building: The Ohio Statehouse, located in Ohio’s capital of Columbus, designated in 1816.
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State Nickname: The Buckeye State, adopted in 1953.
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State Bird: The cardinal, adopted in 1933.
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State Insect: The ladybug, adopted in 1975.
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State Mammal: The white-tailed deer, adopted in 1988.
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State Reptile: The black racer snake, adopted in 1995.
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State Amphibian: The spotted salamander, adopted in 2010.
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State Frog: The American bullfrog, adopted in 2010.
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State Pet: The shelter dog, adopted in 2019.
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State Flower: The red carnation, adopted in 1904.
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State Tree: The Ohio buckeye, adopted in 1953.
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State Wild Flower: The white trillium, adopted in 1986.
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State Fruit: The tomato, adopted in 2009.
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State Native Fruit: The pawpaw, adopted in 2009.
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State Beverage: Tomato juice, adopted in 1965.
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State Song: “Beautiful Ohio,” adopted in 1969.
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State Rock Song: “Hang On Sloopy,” adopted in 1985.
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State Bicentennial Bridge: Blaine Hill Bridge, adopted in 2002.
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State Prehistoric Monument: Newark Earthworks, adopted in 2006.
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State Artifact: Adena Pipe, adopted in 2003.
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State Historical Architectural Structure: Barn, adopted in 2019.
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State Airplane: 1905 Wright Flyer III, adopted in 2025.
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State Gemstone: Flint, adopted in 1965.
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State Fossil: Isotelus trilobite, adopted in 1985.
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State Fossil Fish: The Placoderm Fish, adopted in 2021.
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This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Just Askin’: What are Ohio’s official state symbols?
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