Springfield is strategically located between Dayton and Columbus on or near major east-west and north-south transportation routes serving the country. The city has a strong industrial heritage, at one time being a manufacturing center for automobiles and farm implements before that industry concentrated into just a few players. Big employers today include Navistar International and Honda, and an assortment of smaller manufacturing, food processing and distribution enterprises.
Downtown is interesting, with a number of historic buildings and an active preservation and redevelopment program. Springfield has nice inner neighborhoods with quality homes on densely wooded streets. The 2100-student Wittenberg University adds a noticeable college-town element, and there are relatively strong arts amenities in general. A new 45-acre community health care campus is scheduled to break ground in 2007. The area overall has a good balance of amenities and features for the price and an attractive central location relative to larger Ohio cities.
Springfield is located in the small valley of Buck Creek in an area of gently rolling agricultural and wooded hills in west-central Ohio. The continental climate gives warm, calm, humid summers. Winters are cold and changeable with occasional below-zero temperatures, but highs in the 30’s and 40’s and lows in the 20’s is the norm. Frequent air-mass collisions produce precipitation throughout the year, mostly as spring and summer showers and thunderstorms, with periods of winter rain. Snowfall is light to moderate, with frequent winter snow flurries caused by cold polar air flowing over the Great Lakes. An occasional stronger winter storm will hit if moist air from the south collides with polar air in just the right way. First freeze is late October, last is mid-April.