City (pop., 2000: 82,026), northeastern Ohio, U.S. Located on the Mahoning River, near the Pennsylvania border, it was founded in 1797.
Ohio's first furnace to produce iron was built nearby in 1805. In 1855 the Sault Sainte Marie locks were opened, making the rich iron ores from the upper Great Lakes region available; railroad lines were later built to transport ores and coal to Youngstown. By 1920 it had become one of the largest steel-producing centres in the U.S. Its products now include aluminum, rubber, and paper products. Youngstown State University was established in 1908.