Cincinnati is named after The Society of the Cincinnati, which was founded at the end of the Revolutionary War and was itself named after the Roman consul Cincinnatus. Arthur St. Clair, a member of The Society of the Cincinnati and the first governor of the Northwest Territory renamed Losantiville to Cincinnati in honor of the Society.

In its early years, Cincinnati's local economy was powered largely by the pork industry. This pork heritage was made evident by the many flying pig statues that lined the streets of downtown during the Big Pig Gig in the summer of 2000. Many of these pigs are still on display at various locations downtown, as well as various businesses, parks, and private residences throughout the area.

Cincinnati also has a wonderful riverboat heritage due to the large, steam powered, paddle-wheel driven vessels that were used for exportation of the locally produced pork products. The local stretch of river here is overrun by riverboats (and people) during the Tall Stacks Festival which calls Cincinnati its home every few years. Baseball is another Cincinnati tradition going back a long way. The Cincinnati Reds were the first professional baseball team, which is why they get opening day at home, every season. Most recently, the city has built the Reds a new ballpark, arguably the most beautiful in major league baseball, The Great American Ballpark. Other recent developments on the riverfront include Paul Brown Stadium (new home of the Bengals), the Newport Aquarium in Newport, KY, and The Underground Railroad Freedom Center. The Cincinnati Art Museum and the "Playhouse in the Park" are both located next to each other in Eden Park.

Cincinnati has a thriving local industrial economy and is home to many businesses ranging from manufacturing to services, including General Electric, Procter and Gamble, Fifth Third Bank, Milacron, Chiquita, Kroger, Federated Department Stores, and the American Financial Group. In World Wars I and II, Cincinnati's local machine tool companies, such as Leblond (now Makino) and the Cincinnati Screw and Tap Company (now Milacron), played an important role, providing what is commonly considered the best machine tool technology in the world, for its time.

The Cincinnati skyline is one of the most breathtaking, especially at night- when viewed from Northern Kentucky, Price Hill, or Eden Park and neighboring Mt. Adams.